retail sales associate

retail assistant store manager

warehouse associate

loss prevention officer

sales lead

North 40 Outfitters

North 40 is a good place to gain experience in the retail field, or to gain a little extra money after retirement. The benefits are really decent, with good incentives for living a healthier lifestyle, and various options if you find the premiums costs are too much when only making minimum wage. Starting pay is minimum wage depending on the position you apply for, but holiday bonuses, 6 month reviews and raises, and special events with coworkers make up for it. If you keep yourself in a good mind set, and work hard in your department, it's a safe bet after working half a year there you'll gain a bit more in your paycheck.

The customers are always friendly, the diversity of the staff and items available make it a great shopping experience. The store is known to be very pet friendly to a fault, sometimes to where pet owners leave their pet's messes for staff to clean up when they find it. Every department has a group of people who truly know what they're talking about when it comes to the products, and they want to ensure everyone finds what they're looking for in a professional and friendly manner. Everyone who works there wants to not only help customers, but their fellow staff members as well, creating a warm and welcoming environment.

But there's also some issues with the company that make it difficult to work in.

Work/life balance is often difficult. When understaffed or overloaded with received goods, the scheduling can sometimes lead to long weeks of working somewhere between 6-8 days straight. Only to have the scheduled 4 days off during a pay period at the very end of that long work week. Vacation time when you first start is only allowed when specified in the job interview, then you have to wait for your first weeks worth of vacation time after your first year with the company. A common theme with most retail work, same for their denial of most vacation time during the holiday season.  

Even with some great people working in the departments, backbiting has been a constant repeating issue. Most cases they have people re-watch the same video discouraging the bad habit, but no other actions have really been taken to fix the issue. There is a sense of favoritism among some of the leads and managers in the store, especially when negative feedback is provided from customers. When such comments show up, management takes the word from the leads first before asking the other associates, and seems to brush them off with a polite response back to the customer. 

Overtime is a real touchy subject in the store, and often regulated heavily by management to avoid having to pay anything over 1 hours worth of work. To work around this, management and some leads schedule mandatory early morning meetings before the store opens, regardless if you have the day off or not. While also cutting your shift hours so you don't go over the set limited of the 80 hour pay period. If you do go over those hours, it is heavily suggested by management that you take a longer lunch until the hours are balanced out, so they don't have to include any overtime in your paycheck.

Training from leads can be trying as well, depending on where you applied to. Some leads have no real methods of training new coworkers, and make you feel as though if you have a question or are confused that you have to solve it yourself. There appears to be no training for leads on how to properly instruct new employees, and in most cases any new methods they come up with happens with the next new batch of recruits. Thus resulting in high turnover rates in different departments, and becoming understaffed for sometimes months. This also causes coworkers to become stressed and worried when doing something wrong, often irritating the customers they are trying to help.

In short, if you're looking for a full time starter job, or looking to earn a little extra money in your retirement years, and love the outdoors and gadgets that come with it, then you'll love working at North 40. But if you're looking for a long term position and don't want to have to deal with reoccurring backbiting and training issues, then I would recommend someplace else.

I worked as a System Administrator at this company for years. During that time, the IT department experienced significant turnover, losing multiple experienced team members in a short period. From my perspective, much of this stemmed from ongoing issues with management practices, below-market compensation, and limited opportunities for professional growth and career advancement.

Compensation was consistently lower than industry standards, and there appeared to be little internal pay equity, with newly hired employees sometimes earning more than long-term staff in similar roles. This created frustration and negatively impacted morale within the department.

The work environment in IT was often challenging due to poor communication, lack of accountability, and a management structure that felt overly top-heavy. Projects were frequently delayed until the last minute before involving the broader IT team, which resulted in unnecessary pressure, unresolved questions, and inefficient execution.

There were also ongoing concerns around workplace culture and professionalism within parts of the department. In my experience, issues between team members were not always addressed fairly or constructively by leadership, which contributed to a toxic and stressful environment.

While the company has talented employees and potential for improvement, I believe stronger leadership, better communication, competitive compensation, and a greater focus on employee development and accountability would significantly improve both retention and overall workplace culture.


The work here isn't hard but it is repetitive. You will fold, straighten, clean, put away freight and wait on customers all day. And this isn't difficult or overwhelming as long as your co-workers do their part. I learned a great deal about which products tend to appeal to which customers, and I certainly learned great customer service. Co-workers who have worked there for a while tend to be hardworking and are a close-knit group. My issues with working there came from the management. Management at North40 seems to feel they are there to hire and promote friends, relatives, and significant others regardless of skill, work ethic, or ethical standards. Management rules through fear and intimation and employees are forbidden from voicing problems or concerns--this could lead to firing or demotion. Promotions and raises are primarily given to friends, family members, and significant others -- those not in those groups are unlikely to see either one. You do not need to work hard at North40 to succeed, you just need to know the right people. Management changes rules and schedules on a whim and does not give notice, nor do they follow their own rules.

North 40 is a company with a clear vision and a strong sense of purpose. Leadership does a good job communicating where the company is headed and how each team contributes to that success. It's refreshing to work for an organization that values both its employees and its customers.

One of the things I appreciate most is the quality of the management team. Leaders are approachable, respectful, and genuinely care about helping employees succeed. They provide support when needed while also giving people the autonomy to do their jobs well.

The culture is built around teamwork, accountability, and service. Expectations are clear, communication is straightforward, and employees are treated with kindness and respect. Like any growing company, there are challenges, but the overall environment is positive and focused on continuous improvement.

I would recommend North 40 to anyone looking for a company with strong values, caring leadership, and a clear direction for the future.

if you like folding jeans, t shirts, and dusting.... this is a great place for you.  I learned a lot about stuff I can never forget.  denim in general is overwhelming.  lack of team work, too much freight.  too political and very drama based.  Every job has drama but this was just too much.  too much gossip and not enough work.  customers were great!  You get your regulars and even some new ones here and there.  Management is all about numbers, money and their personal gain.  you are just a number getting the job done for them. You are replaceable!  store hours weren't that bad.  way better than most retail jobs.  its all about who and what you know about someone instead of what you know and how you do your job. Very tight nit community, Outsiders not welcome.  great opportunity if your family member works there.

Great store, poor management. Highly recommend not working here unless you would like to be taken advantage of and the fired. You will be over worked and under paid in any department. You'll be able to gain great experience but DO NOT expect to be given the actual position change, title, or pay raise. I was told on multiple occasions that I would be up for a promotion or a pay raise. I did all the required training for the position and continued to uphold the duties of that position after the training. I  was never given the title or the promised pay raise and I was expected to continue to uphold the work of the position with out the benefits. later the same month i was fired and told it was because i was dishonest and had harmed the company. All i ever did was work hard for less than what i deserved. North40...DO BETTER

The department I worked in did not contribute much money to the owners and I believe that is why management did not really care about what was going on in it. 
The lead that was there while I was there only took the position to get a pay raise because they don’t pay enough to support the costs of living. In turn everyone who was paid less took over their work while they scheduled themselves for what was convenient to them and changed the rest of the department’s schedule to fit theirs without word to us. All with no compensation to the ones doing all the work. 
We would put orders in to our manager for inventory and sometimes not receive it for months. 
Overall, the only good thing about this job was the coworkers. 

What is the best part of working at the company?
The owner's values. It is a company you are proud to work for. 

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
measuring up to expectations of multiple levels of managemennt

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
At the founders level, the place has an amazing culture yet in every store the culture can change based on leadership style which can create some challenges. But from experience, challenges always worth working through. Its a great company

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Doing everything you can for the customer. Building and growing the community. Being a resource for the local farmer or rancher

A typical day at work looked like: Friendly customers looking for a specific product, stocking shelves and baling straw and alfalfa into the backs of pickups. During the middle of the day, each employee got a standard 15-minute break before getting back on the floor. I learned how to correctly stock shelves and interact with the customers wandering around the workplace. There wasn't any culture openly discussed around the workplace, but employees could discuss this topic during their breaks or after their shift. The most enjoyable part of the job was being able to help everyone out, both employees and customers alike, and the hardest part was being able to accept that I don't know everything about the store itself.

Started and built a great team alongside some great people.  People who cared.  We were profitable and work was done well and with a happy face.  Over time, leadership decided things weren't being done their way.  Micromanagement took over.  Corners were not just cut, but slashed.  Employee gaslighting became the law of management and anyone who wanted to be management.   Incentives were slashed and good people left.  Those who stayed bore the brunt.  Now no one wants to work there anymore, but leadership refuses change.  Because change means new leadership.   

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Retail sales associate 289 salaries reported	$17.42 per hour
Retail assistant store manager 8 salaries reported	$22.25 per hour
Warehouse associate 6 salaries reported	$18.83 per hour
Loss prevention officer 4 salaries reported	$18.66 per hour
Sales lead 2 salaries reported	$19.00 per hour

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