Pros
Having recently completed their management programme, when they said at the beginning it would be hard work and you'd go home tired after every shift, they were not wrong!! but it was definitely worth it. As with any job, there were days when I questionned whether or not I really wanted this, but I'm so glad I didn't tap out at the first challenge (like a few of the people I started with). Retail is definitely "marmite" you either love it or hate it, but as the person in charge of leading your team it's important that you love it, but prepare for this to be challenged! The year is jam packed with different aspects of the business (working in distribution, going to head office etc) and I feel like I have a better understanding of the business, something which not everyone gets to do. There's a lot of responsibility given to you from an early stage which can be terrifying, but at the end of the day the company are investing a lot of time into your training and therefore you need to prove yourself quickly. If you want to work in retail management I would recommend the farmfoods program.
Cons
It is exhausting, you will go home tired and you do need to be prepared to be flexible on the hours you work (I saw other reviews had mentioned long hours) but after just 9 months on the programme you will be trusted with your own branch, so like I mentioned before you have to be prepared to prove yourself. You will definitely have days when you go home thinking you can't do this, but there is support available (area manager, other MDP's, mentor) and I wish I'd used it more rather than struggling on my own.