Holiday season hardly a break for those in retail

Amy Kwallek

In wake of the recent holiday and the largest shopping day of the year, I question where our holiday meaning truly is. We buy gifts, spend time with family and get a few days off of work. So many things go into having a successful holiday. The right recipes, the perfect gift and a spotless house are usual concerns for hosting a great party.

But take a step back and look at all those people that help you get there. Those that work in retail feel the effects of the holiday season more than anyone. They help you get your perfect gift and bag your turkeys. These people seem to work the hardest out of anyone during the holiday season, and they seem to get the smallest reward.

Thanksgiving is a time for recognizing our blessings and all of the good things we have like family and friends. It’s a time where we can all get together and eat and enjoy company. Yet, so many people lately have found themselves working on this holiday. Working on Thanksgiving? It seems kind of like an oxymoron. We work on a day that is set aside to spend with family and friends to be thankful for what we have. Isn’t this a time that could be better spent with people who will truly appreciate our presence?

Having worked in food retail I can remember the Thanksgiving season and having to lift all of the frozen turkeys that were on sale along with all other related foods and beverages. And, there was always the frustrated customer that didn’t understand why you didn’t have what they needed or how you could possibly move so slowly. It was an exhausting experience and I always wondered how people can forget something when their carts were completely full with everything that could possibly be necessary for their Thanksgiving dinner.

Because so many places are open on Thanksgiving, customers know that they can just come back in the morning and get what they need. While you are worried about preparing for your family, think about the people who are not spending time with their’s because they are there working and serving you. They are there so that you can get that stick of butter you so conveniently forgot.

Christmas Eve is coming, and many people will be finding themselves working long hours that day to serve the customer instead of spending time with their families. Please consider these people’s situation and sanity and plan ahead. Try doing your shopping a little early and give these people a break even if your shopping experince hasn’t been completely satisfactory. I’m sure their day hasn’t been the best either.

Black Friday is the busiest shopping day of the year. Many stores have early bird hours and slash prices in half. Target opened at 6 a.m., Old Navy at 5 a.m. and Kohls even opened their doors at 4 a.m. That’s simply ridiculous. People are having to cut their holiday short the day before so that they can get up and work and serve the customer at 4 a.m. Why do the doors need to open that early?
Seriously, cut these people some slack. I know that many of the executives of these retail corporations think that the earlier they open their doors the more business they will get, and maybe this is true, but they are not the ones that have to be up early in the morning after a long day of entertaining family to serve a customer.

As consumers, are we really this inconsiderate? We absolutely have to get that super toy or amazing gift at 4 a.m. on Black Friday? Is it really worth it? Sure the prices might be slashed, but is it worth cutting the workers’ holiday short for your benefit? Why are regular business hours not enough for us? Be considerate of those in retail on holidays and lower the demand for business hours. It’s simply ridiculous to take advantage of these people on a holiday.

Why don’t we start utilizing the great Internet and try online shopping? Or perhaps we could do shopping earlier. Any kind of effort to ease the pressure and tension of the holiday for these retail employees would be a relief. When things aren’t going your way, don’t take it out on that poor lady in the Wal-Mart checkout line. Holidays are not about getting the gift at the right price. Holidays are about family and friends and time well spent together. Those in retail are not just robots available for your convenience. They are hard workers putting in extra hours for you during a family oriented holiday season. Be considerate.