Halloween is over. While we nurse our hangovers (alcohol and/or sugar-induced) I ask that you direct your attention to the quickly approaching holiday season. If the displays in the store where I work are any indication, Christmas will be here tomorrow. The retail industry has forgotten poor Thanksgiving, and reduced what was once a lovely time for family into a simple prelude. Less and less do people discuss what they are thankful for. The marketing techniques used to manipulate us aren't even appealing to our love for Thanksgiving anymore. Commercials don't as often show family seated around the table, smiling wide because they chose the just right brand of green beans for their holiday meal. Instead, we are all being asked to view Thanksgiving as what it has unfortunately become, an opening act to the real show -- Black Friday.
Of course I would prefer to quit working while I'm in college, but I also like to eat and sleep indoors. I have worked retail for quite some time now and (believe it or not) I love my job. It isn't my career and I pray to the CEO that it isn't forever, but it provides me with a flexible schedule and I'm good enough at it. Lowe's, where I currently spend my days pushing lumber and mulch to the masses, is one of few stores that gives its employees a paid day off for Thanksgiving -- so you won't hear me complaining about that.
The day after Thanksgiving, however, we are most definitely open. Those of us in retail tend to complain about a lot of the same issues: customers staying in the store well-past normal closing time, customers that ask for a manager and get what they want by being a jerk, customers that have no respect for the fact that we're just there to do a job, and well, customers. So naturally, one of the busiest shopping days of the year is enough to make us want to curl into the fetal position, stay home and play dead. However, in what will probably be a futile effort to remain positive this Black Friday, I have compiled a list of the things that aren't so bad about working Black Friday.
1. Customers care so much less than they once did.
A lot of people are over Black Friday. They don't want to deal with the crowds any more than we do. With the popularity of Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday, the Black Friday crowds are getting noticeably smaller every year. Though the crazies do seem crazier when you're selling gift items at 15 percent above cost, there are less and less of them each year. Turns out, they would rather shop in their pajamas on Monday. Yay, American apathy!
2. Some stores offer additional discounts for employees during the holiday season.
If you can't beat the deal-searchers, join them! Or watch them beat each other and then save some money or something like that.
3. We're all in this together.
Black Friday is one of those rare days that very few retailers will approve anyone to have a day off. That means we all have to work and some of us have to be there well before sunrise. However, that also means we ALL have to work. While the sane shoppers and Black Friday nut jobs alike are all vying for the $10 crock pots, at least we know that all of us are in the same boat.
4. You're getting paid.
Jobs come in all shapes and sizes. If you work retail, yours happens to be of the variety that works Black Friday. REI's recent announcement to close it's doors on the most popular shopping day of the year is hopefully the first sign of coming change. In the meantime, however, this is our Super Bowl, just with crappier uniforms, a lot less money and everyone is rooting for the other team.
5. Your survival means something very, very important.
Christmas is coming! Of course that means things are about to get busier, but it also means that you're finally about to get a holiday off -- even if you work for one of our great American Wal-Marts. Even though working retail does its best to crush our souls every holiday season, it's still supposed to be a nice time to spend with your family and friends. Buy a few gifts, drink a few glasses of wine and try to forget that you have to work the returns desk the day after Christmas. Happy holidays!
