Working in retail is so much more than just folding clothes and asking customers if they need help. It's also floor sets and processing!
A floor set is the wonderful magic that happens in the middle of the night when all the stores in the mall are shut down, and all the new items in the store come out and are put on display. Have you ever been to the mall one day, and then the next day, walked into the same store but everything is different? Yes, that is a floor set. These are the stages of what it's actually like to work one.
1. The process of going to sleep the day before.
A floor set and processing is done at night when everyone is asleep. Therefore, we work in the middle of the night and have to fall asleep much earlier than the rest of the word. My shift starts at 4 a.m., so I'm trying to fall asleep at 7 p.m. Trust me in that this is a lot harder than it sounds, and when you can't fall asleep till 11 p.m., you are in for a rough night.
2. Waking up and getting ready.
What's worse than falling asleep when the sun is still out? Waking up in the pitch black! Waking up isn't fun as it is, but waking up at 3 a.m. for your 4 a.m. shift is even worse. You're the only one in your house who's awake, so you have to be quiet for them, and walking around the house in the dark is impossible to do without tripping on something.
3. Driving.
Now, you think this would be the easy part, because no one is on the road yet. Well, that part is true, but for some reason, you will still be sitting at red light after red light.
4. Getting the game plan.
Now you are finally at your store and you're with all your coworkers, and all of you have all clocked in. You all gather around, whether it be the office or the stock room, and you see all the boxes sitting there that you get to go through, and you devise your game plan. Who's gonna take the panty bar? Who's gonna do the front launch table? This is where you find out your fate for the next couple of hours, and you will either love it or hate it.
5. Bonding.
Once all the jobs are assigned and you start doing whatever it is you will be doing that night, the bonding starts. During night shifts, you get to know your coworkers on another kind of level. These are the people you spend hours with in a very empty setting, so you have no other choice but to talk to them. It also helps that these are some of the only people who understand the pain of being up that early.
6. Store opening.
This is simultaneously the best and worst part of the shift. It's the best because it reminds you that there's only an hour or two left and that you're almost done! It's the worst because you now have to go into the stock room and continue doing what you were doing: It's close quarters back there, and you will bump into each other.
7. Clocking out.
Finally, you're done your shift and you're going home! You clock out, gather all of your things and get checked by your manager and leave the mall. By now, it's noon and the sun is out and you will be blinded by its light. Once you're finally home, you'll take a short nap and then get ready to do it all over again the next day.
