I want to thank you for shopping. My job is to sell things to you and without you I wouldn't have a job. I am sincerely greatfull to those who chose to shop on Black Friday. Many of you who didn't, chose not to as a protest. I understand why you wanted to forgo a good sale to stand up for what you believe in. Thanksgiving was made as a day of rest to ponder and show thanks for the things we are truely grateful for. In recent years it's become less of a holiday for those who work in my industry. We thank you for caring for us and for standing up for us. This year many stores opened at 8pm and even earlier. I fear in coming years we won't close stores at all on thanksgiving but it's my reality and one I have come to not just understand but except. I know I have to work holidays and work in a extremely glamour-less industry. But I truely love what I do.
Personally this thanksgiving was the hardest I have ever endured but not because I had to go to work. I don't live near my family and for the first time in my life I wasn't with them for the holiday. It was actually a relief to know that I could drowned my sorrows in work instead of thinking of the things I'm missing.
I looked forward to the busiest day of the year with glee.
But as I opened my doors on thanksgiving as I was directed by my company and the establishment we rent a space from I was not greeted by tons of shoppers. I was greeted by open air. A few people trickled in but after standing around for hours i decided to close our doors for a few hours because no one was shopping. I wanted Black Friday to be worth every moment I wasn't with my family Instead my mind was thinking of what I was missing back home.
Instead of being to busy to stop for a lunch break I was thinking of my nephew who is 4 and how he might be forgetting me.
Instead of restocking empty shelves I was realizing I didn't get to see Thor with my dad on Thanksgiving morning.
Instead of providing excellent customer service I was driving home wondering if any of its worth it.
Instaed of coming home to sleep for a couple of hours and then hitting it hard again I stayed home because we weren't busy enough for me to be there wasting payroll. I watched some tv and considered calling my family but I didn't want to hear about their amazingly realizing holiday. While I was stressing out because my team and I wouldn't be making our sales goals.
As a shopper you may not realize that Black Friday isn't just a great deal day. It's a day for retailers to make up lost revenue. We need you to come shopping. We aren't lowering prices because we want to but because we need to to make our year positive. We need a push to finish the year with a bang. Big box stores may not miss you but I'm a little guy comparatively and I need you. I had no choice but to open on thanksgiving Black Friday and I counted on you to make it worth it it me and my team. We had to cut our holiday short and miss our families but this year It wasn't worth it.
You might be thinking that next year stores will go back to opening at midnight but as a girl on the front lines of retail I don't think so. Black Friday is about being the first one open because the sales are the same no matter where you go. That huge tv you want is at 5 different stores for the same price. The one that opens first will get your business. That's pure logic. Us little guys may be the last on your shopping list but we are grateful to be on your list.
Again thank you to those that shopped! You made my day better because you made it worth it...
-M
Proud of you.
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