Black Friday

Black Friday is different for those of us who work in retail. Instead of getting to participate in the great deals and craziness, we are forced to get to our jobs early and be just mere witnesses to the bedlam that ensues when the doors are opened. But before I make it seem like a totally awful thing, let me just say that it can actually be quite a fun and exciting experience for us workers.

I've worked three Black Friday's at Wal-mart; once as a cashier and twice as a frozen/meat associate. Since no one's buying frozen dinners or fresh meat on Black Friday, I got to help out on the floor. My year as a cashier was the least exciting BF. It's just standing at the register checking people out. But when I'm on the floor I get to see everything. I get to help out where needed and see all the people turn into complete crazies when it turned to 5:00. Since Wal-mart is open 24 hours, there are people in the building at all times. They get there extra early, some drawing maps of where the best deals are located and others coming with extra people to dispatch to different places in the store. They have a look in their eye and a sprint in their step. And then when the time finally comes for the pallets to be ripped open and the items on the floor to be released, it gets crazy and LOUD! One year there was a deaf associate who said she could actually hear the noise of the people!

I feel very saddened about the associate who was trampled to death at a Wal-mart store on Long Island. I can attest to how crazy people are when consumed by rampant consumerism. The year I was a cashier a few people came thru the register with battle wounds--blood and scratches--from fighting for a Bratz doll that was on sale for ten dollars. A Bratz doll!! My sister works at Wal-mart; she's a small girl and when she has to cut open a pallet then try to get out of the way of the crowd it can be quite scary. One year she almost got blocked in and had to fight her way out. People really do have no concern for those around the when a deal is at stake. Is it really worth it? Is your life really worth it?

BF at the Crew was a much less exciting event. We were not running any special offers for the day; we didn't even open early (well, we did open ten minutes early because there were a few people standing at the door who kept checking their watches). People who came and thought they were getting a great deal on our offer of 30% off Sale prices would be disheartened to know that we were offering that same deal all week long--and all through the weekend, too. So the day was pretty busy, but just made it feel like a Saturday (a day which really wasn't busy like a Saturday, so in the end it was pretty much all the same).

And you know what? I kinda missed the whole crazy spectacle of Wal-mart.