Overworked and underpaid - Merchandiser PepsiCo Employee Review

2.0
Mar 2, 2022
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

The only real pro for this job is that if you show up and do your job well you are pretty much left alone. I do like that I can listen to my headphones while working in stores. You get 2 weeks paid vacation at the start of the year even if you've only been there a short time.

Cons

Highly overworked. Pepsi seems to set routes for merchandisers and sales people that stretch them to the limits of what is possible for a human. There are many days I work 12-15 hours of hard physical labor. When asking for help it is rarely possible. Some days are only 5-8 hours but you'll need those to recover from the longer ones. Co-workers can be very hit or miss with more miss than hit. If someone doesn't work your stores properly in front of you it can lead to very long days if you are the type of person who does work right. They talk a lot about the opportunity for advancement but that seems to only apply for minorities. If you aren't a minority you will likely get passed up for promotions by less qualified minorities.

Explore other reviews about PepsiCo

5.0
Jul 1, 2026
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Great Company to work for.

Cons

Not that many cons to be honest.

4.0
May 6, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Worked for PepsiCo for 10 years across four locations in Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Florida. Gained experience in multiple sales and operational roles while supporting account growth, merchandising, and customer relationships. Florida locations were especially well-operated and efficient. PepsiCo provided competitive pay, solid benefits through Keystone, and a good vacation package compared to competitors in the beverage industry. The company also offered strong sales incentive programs, earning rewards such as Orlando Magic floor seats, Pro Bowl tickets, Apple Watches, and Yeti cups for exceeding performance goals and driving sales results.

Cons

While PepsiCo promotes internal growth opportunities, many promotions and leadership opportunities appeared to favor college internship hires over long-term internal employees. In some cases, newer college-based management pushed corporate initiatives without fully understanding local market realities or account volume trends. For example, innovation products were sometimes forced into low-volume accounts where sell-through was unrealistic. Operationally, certain delivery processes could be improved, particularly with Tropicana products being stored in coolers on trucks for extended periods, which could impact product quality and increase waste. Work-life balance could also be challenging, as sales representatives commonly worked 50–60 hour weeks. Expectations from corporate leadership were often unrealistic, especially when customer representatives and drivers were expected to fully stock stores while servicing 15+ accounts per day. Experiences could also vary depending on whether locations were union or non-union operated.

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