I don't currently work in retail but I did for many years and have seen Christmas at a few different stores. I never worked at a store like Walmart or Best Buy but I can say that Black Friday was always fun. I have worked "Black Weekend", Christmas Eve, New Year's Eve, New Year's Day, Easter Vigil, Memorial Day, Labor Day, Forth of July, etc. That was the job I signed up for and I did it without complaint. And no - most stores don't have time-and-a-half for holidays.
Christmas Eve was always worse than Black Friday. The Black Friday shoppers are the ones who are excited to be out. The Christmas Eve shoppers are the ones who put it off until the last minute and are grumpy about the lack of time (stores closed early on Christmas Eve).
Black Friday was fun and exciting. The shifts went quickly because of the lack of downtime. I remember my first Black Friday. I worked at Warner Brother's Studio Store and we were offering teddy bears for $0.01 if you spent a certain amount of money. We were playing catch with the bears in the front of the store to try and entice customers into our "fun store".
I have spent Black Friday at Warner Brothers, Gymoboree, Borders Express, and Disney Store and I don't have one negative Black Friday story.
"All our dreams can come true -- if we have the courage to pursue them." -- Walt Disney
We must have different Gods. My God said "do to others what you would have them do to you". Your God seems to have said "My Way or the Highway".
Updated On: 11/28/11 at 01:33 AM