Working in retail is basically a love-hate relationship. You love discounts, the people you work with (maybe), and helping people find clothing, shoes, and accessories that they absolutely adore. But then there's the other, not-so-pleasant side of retail: the painfully rude customers, the repetitive folding and refolding clothes that have been rummaged through, and the countless hours spent putting out a new floorset. If you work in retail currently, or have in the past, you will definitely be able to relate to the following five things that occur when you start working in retail.
1. You know the word to every song on your store's playlist.
Even if you don't know the name of it, you know every. single. word. You know every single pause and every single beat. You even start to learn the order of the playlist and what length of each song. Like, Arianna Grande's song "Into You?" Yeah, it's exactly four minutes and four seconds long. And after that song is "Levels" by Nick Jonas. Once you leave the store, though, you know one of these songs will be haunting you the entire car ride home.
2. You buy stuff that you wouldn't have bought otherwise.
That 30% (or whatever discount you get) employee discount is a blessing and curse. That $35 sweatshirt that you've been dying to get? With your discount, that comes out to be $24.50. The pair of ripped leggings that's $50? Not anymore - $35 with your discount! And what about that ugly $40 cardigan? It may look like your grandmother's rug, but for $28, how could you say no? You may be smiling, but your wallet is dying. Slowly kiss that paycheck goodbye, honey.
3. Certain words make you cringe
There are some words that send a shiver up your spine every time you hear them. Did someone say delivery is coming in on Wednesday? Well, that's a shame that on Wednesday you will be "sick." Did your manager just ask you to put out a floorset tomorrow night? As you nod your head and accept the offer, tears stream down your face. You start to think of coworkers that would want to cover for you (although the probability of finding someone is 0%).
4. You must fold everything. In. Sight.
Don't you just love spending countless hours folding the same pair of jeans, just to have customers mess it up almost immediately afterwards? This may or may not be the cause of your OCD towards messy clothes, that, may I mention, did not exist before you started this job. The clothing that was once laying on your bedroom floor for months is now folded and put away in your closet or drawer. Even when you go to a friend's house, you have an urge to organize their closet. You are even crazy nice enough to put all of their clothes in color order! Your parents' and friends' love for you has greatly increased since you started becoming their personal maid.
5. Your circadian rhythm is basically nonexistent
Working late hours with a morning shift the next day can really mess with your circadian rhythm, or body clock. Side effects of a screwed up body clock may include, but are not limited to: constant fatigue, chronic, crankiness, sleeping until noon, inability to fall asleep until 3am, and late-night Taco Bell cravings.
