Black Friday is coming up...

[crazylegs]

Am glad I'm not in retail anymore, no more horrible shifts before christmas, infact if I take a single days leave I'll have two weeks off with shift patteren rest days and Statatory (bank) holidays

*ducks rotten fruit, veg and berries*

[JustADude]

Retail workers label it in closer relation to Edmonton's Black Friday (F4 tornado at the end of July 1987) where the results can be defined as a natural disaster.

Us American retail workers place it with Black Tuesday, which was the stock-market crash that was the official Grand Launch Date of The Depression, because it makes us want to fling ourselves out of high windows like the stock-brokers did.

[chops]

I had to work at the dealership last year...and if I remember correctly, it wasn't very busy. Everybody was busy fighting what I call The Shopping Wars™.

Also surprisingly, I didn't have to worry about traffic, even though we were located right across the street from a major new shopping plaza. We must've opened late enough to avoid the rush of people waiting for PS3s and Wiis...and there is a GameStop in that plaza, too.

[CreepyCarrie]

I put in a time-off request for Black Friday and the Saturday after. I put in my requests in July, so I'm pretty much guaranteed the time off. Sucks to be the ones at my store who wait until November 20th to finally get around to requesting Black Friday off.

[TheseFightingWords]

I haven't had to work black friday in years. It's so wonderful. Although honestly the few times I have worked on black friday it was actually fun cause it was so much of a cluster fuck before you knew it the day was over.

Although we had other days. Christmas Eve is a big day for us, but I worked at a store once where the day of all days was 2 of july. It was a beach store next to the fire works show. Did like 2 weeks business in one day. Don't remember most of them because I was the one with the truck so it became my job to haul the like 4,000 lbs of ice to the store from the ice place. Which was kinda scary seeing I had a bed of ice and when I showed up like half of it was sold before I unloaded.

But again it was just so busy before you knew it the day was over.

[blas]

The only thing I have to be thankful for this Thanksgiving is that I don't work retail anymore and I don't have to work Black Friday. I will still do my laundry at my parents' house and venture out for lunch at Mickey Ds or whatever, but other than that, I'm barricading myself in my apartment. It will be enough of a suicide attempting to drive around either town and to and from!

[Byronthebanker]

I'm working it this year - there are 4 people in my job class and on Friday's only two would be required to work . .so we take turns - even numbered years I take day after thanksgving off and work day before or after Christmas - Odd numbered years the opposite.

It's the slowest day of the whole year for us.

[GolfCart34]

Black Friday at the tourist trap last year was busy since it was a few days before the grand illumination (kickoff to the Christmas season at that place) and all the dumb tourists showed up a few days early to check things out.

I'm not sure how the bank will fare on that wonderful Friday. I'm suspecting the worst we'll get are the people who want cash advances on their credit cards or a withdrawal from their savings account to buy gifts.

Come to think of it, I don't think I've ever worked on Black Friday in traditional retail. Then again, I've never worked in retail for a long enough stint to really know.

[Gurndigarn]

Working an arcade on Black Friday sucked. I had to be there at 6AM, but our customers didn't arrive until 11AM. With my current job, I can at least sleep normal hours, though I still hate having to be out the day after thanksgiving.

[lordlundar]

Us American retail workers place it with Black Tuesday, which was the stock-market crash that was the official Grand Launch Date of The Depression, because it makes us want to fling ourselves out of high windows like the stock-brokers did.

well, that too.

[Severen13]

....and I am thankful that I don't work retail anymore, and I will not cause some unfortunate soul who has to work Black Friday to suffer a migraine by being another idiot who decides to shop that day.

[morgana]

and I will not cause some unfortunate soul who has to work Black Friday to suffer a migraine by being another idiot who decides to shop that day.

Ditto. I don't leave the house that day, if I can help it. Too many lunatics out.

[GingerBiscuit]

I am SO GLAD we don't have that here. Closest would probably be either Christmas eve (when everyone goes insane for last-minute gifts) or just after new year- when a lot of retailers have huge sales.

So no, I don't have to work it, as it doesn't exist.

[Retail Associate]

At Meijer everyone works Thanksgiving, Black Friday and Christmas Eve. They do not grant time off between Thanksgiving and Christmas, no exceptions. Fortunately, I will miss all the crazies on Black Friday because I work 2nd shift and it's usually pretty quiet by the time I get there.

What I dread is the week before Christmas and in particular, Christmas Eve. That's the worst when you're on 2nd shift and I'll be going in later and staying later.



God help me!

.

[Reyneth]

I finally got out of retail - but then picked up a part-time job. In retail. *D'oh!*

Although my call-center job we only get Thanksgiving and Christmas off. Any other days you have to negotiate w/coworkers (our group has to have X# - still to be determined) on staff those days. And time off = using your vacation/sick time. I'm not sure which I'll pick, because even if I could get both off (doubtful), I am not sure I want to use that many of my time-off hours.

I already told the new retail job that there's no chance I'll be there Black Friday or Christmas Eve - having to work my other job or dealing with family stuff (as my grandma is going downhill and it will make any holiday already worse than it is). At least I'm lucky and they're cool with that. They were/are so desperate for help already that I've been told re:tomorrow "come in when you want to, anything you can give us!" lol. Can't beat that one!