Now that Black Friday and Cyber Monday are coming to a close, everyone is either basking in the glory of the awesome holiday deals they snatched or sobbing over the deals that they just barely missed. Most shoppers are happy, but what about employees? And does Black Friday really need to start four hours earlier now? Here’s a recap of my Black Friday experience in the electronics section of the big name retailer I work at.
Unlike last year, I didn’t have anyone scream at me until I cried. I know, I was shocked too! When I arrived to work at 7:30 PM on Thanksgiving night, my manager immediately told me that we did not have any of the Wiis that were advertised in the ad, and that the rest of the employees in electronics and I would be responsible for delivering the news. This means that I began preparing to brace myself against comments of how this was MY fault from the moment I stepped into the store. Keep in mind, this was my first shift in six months.
After the nightly meeting we ran to our positions with five minutes to prepare for the incoming crowd (read mob). We were doing jumping jacks, scaring each other with stories of past Black Friday experiences, and all in all dreading, yet excitedly anticipating, the opening of the store. We thanked God for the counter blocking us from the customers and watched the clock turn to eight. (Isn’t the anticipation killing you?) And just as we expected the stampede to turn the corner, we were greeted by … three women with shopping carts. Just three. More followed, but not nearly as many as we had been overrun with the year before. And don’t get me wrong, it was extremely busy, just nothing near the chaos I had seen in years past. It was an utter disappointment.
So why the lack of customers? I think that people just did not want to go shopping on Thanksgiving Day. Way to go human race! I’m proud of you! I honestly thought that everyone would come out to trample each other just as they had in years past, but this year, the overflow of Black Friday into Thanksgiving Day was just too much. So people stayed home, or went to the stores that opened at midnight or early the next morning.
I saw a tweet recently that said, “Black Friday: because only in America do we trample each other to the ground for the things we want the day after we give thanks for the things we already have.” This year, many CEOs decided to have those things fall on the same day. But way to prove this tweeter wrong America! People still shopped, and people still got great days. But I was very glad to see more people decided to stay in with their families and spend Thanksgiving the old-fashioned way.
We were busy until around midnight, and then after around 12:30 I rang up maybe five customers and did my best not to fall asleep. It was one of my better Black Fridays in the retail world, for sure.
Photo Cred:
http://www.dailyfinance.com/20…
http://www.amny.com/urbanite-1…