Picture this: the sun is shining, the air outside is crisp, and there’s a certain buzz in the atmosphere that I can’t quite define. I walk down to the kitchen, pour myself a fresh cup of tea, and even though y belly’s still full from feasting the day before, I fix myself a hearty bowl of blueberry oatmeal with a side of orange juice. All seems well with the world.
Then it dawns on me. This is no ordinary day. This is the day I’ve been both anticipating and dreading, the day that brings out only the bravest and boldest, the day when wallets itch and laden arms gather a surge of superhuman strength.
Black Friday. And I’m working in sales.
0845 hours: Arrival
I’m fortunate enough that my mom was willing to drive me to work, so I won’t have to deal with parking amongst the hordes of panicked shoppers. I usually work at a smaller mall, and have never set foot in this larger one on such an auspicious occasion as Black Friday, much less worked there, so I’m not quite sure what to expect.
Traffic isn’t bad, probably because the crazy 4AM-ers have already come and gone, and the normal daytime people aren’t here yet. However, I’m grateful not to have to walk in from the back of the parking lot.
1000 hours: It Has Begun
It’s been an hour, and mall traffic is starting to pick up. I’ve had quite a few good sales, but I have a ways to go until I reach my goal. I’ve had some time to orient myself to the layout of this store, and I’ve memorized pretty much every deal here. People tend to come in waves, resulting in a lot of employees lurking by the door waiting for our prey, alternating with all of us buzzing around trying to squeeze through to the merchandise we need. The peak hours will be upon us shortly, so fingers crossed for a lucrative day!
1210 hours: Lunch
My Thanksgiving leftovers, as always, are amazing. The store was given a budget of $4 per person to buy food for the employees, so everyone else received their pick of Jimmy John’s, but I, not being able to eat gluten, meat, or dairy, have received a Green Tea Latte from Starbucks instead. The power of matcha should provide the caffeine necessary to energize me through the next five hours of sales.
1430 hours: Midday
My feet are starting to notice how long I’ve been standing and walking around. We’ve been keeping a running tally of how many people have asked if we’re making beverages today (we’re not) and how many people have come in explicitly not wanting to buy anything but looking for free samples (there aren’t any).
Time went by much quicker this morning. It seemed like it was lunchtime before I knew it, and now I can’t believe I have a whole 3 hours to go. The sun is beating into my eyes from the small window outside. I never realized before how shiny this mall is. Perhaps therein lies the appeal. That being said, it could be a lot crazier than it is right now. I’ve only accidentally bumped into customers a few times, which I consider an accomplishment in these close quarters.
1700 hours: The Final Stretch
At the moment, I am only $107 away from my sales goal. This morning I wasn’t sure it was attainable, but now I’m so close that I have to succeed. Not bad for my first day in a different location!
I’m trying to think what I want for dinner when this is over. Chinese food? Chinese food sounds really, really good right now.
1730 hours: The End
This is it. I did it.
I made my goal with 10 minutes to spare, and my ride is waiting for me outside. I feel good about what I accomplished today—sure, I made my bosses happy by selling lots of product, but I can also feel good about the way the product will make the customers feel. You can say what you want about commercialization and capitalism, but the joy of helping someone find exactly what they need (and helping them save a little money) really is gratifying.
Yikes. What have I become?
Overall, I don’t know if Black Friday really lives up to the hype or the dread. Sure, it was definitely more traffic than I’m used to, and generally people come in waves, so there were some fun (read: stressful) rushes in there. It was profitable for me, since I make commission in addition to my hourly pay. In general, I don’t love the warmth of Thanksgiving family time being overshadowed by Black Friday shopping—fortunately, I didn’t have to work Thanksgiving night, a ridiculous practice that others did have to engage in. But if Black Friday must occur, I’m glad that I could be there both to benefit myself and to make other people’s day better.