The Reality of Retail

By Retail_Realist - About Me - E-mail this page - Add to My Favorites - Add to Blog List - See other blogs in Opinion

Saturday, December 20, 2008

Memories of Parking Lot Trauma

December 20, 2008: Bad Parking Lot Day #37 It's like last year. I can't even buy a parking space. Cars are stacked, and drivers are stressing as they inch along waiting for someone to pull out. Getting in and parking is one thing, but trying to leave is another story all together. Let me tell you... Sign in to see full entry.

posted by Retail_Realist at 10:56 PM | add or view comments (3) | leave calling card | link to this | view only this entry

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

A Few of My Favorite Things

Christmas in retail brings a whole different meaning to the holiday season. While I always dread the extended hours and packed parking lots, I still enjoy simple delights of the busiest shopping season of the year. These are a few of my favorite things... Professional holiday gift wrap Exciting... Sign in to see full entry.

posted by Retail_Realist at 7:54 PM | add or view comments (1) | leave calling card | link to this | view only this entry

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

"How many hangers am I holding up?"

Today I tried to use semaphore code to communicate with my associates. The store was unusually quiet as I moved my arms up and down and back and forth, trying to convey my message in specific form and movement. If only I knew semaphore code. If only I had used flags instead of hangers. Gales of... Sign in to see full entry.

posted by Retail_Realist at 9:33 PM | add or view comments (4) | leave calling card | link to this | view only this entry

Wednesday, December 3, 2008

"My world is spinning. Make it stop."

I know I haven't been here in a while. So many things demand my time and energy during this busy season that I hardly have time to pause. Yesterday was an example of this as the store was bustling with traffic, and of course I was short-handed at the busiest time of the day. Lines grew rapidly at... Sign in to see full entry.

posted by Retail_Realist at 8:16 PM | add or view comments (1) | leave calling card | link to this | view only this entry

Friday, November 28, 2008

Reflections of Black Friday

My alarm went off this morning at 4:45 a.m. Thanksgiving Day was a blurred blend of festive foods, laughter, and multiple trips to the dessert table. I shared the day with my husband, son, and the rest of the extended family on my side. We are many! A mom, a dad, and 12 brothers and sisters. We're... Sign in to see full entry.

posted by Retail_Realist at 9:25 PM | add or view comments (3) | leave calling card | link to this | view only this entry

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

My Holiday Resolutions

Here I am for another rush of the holiday season. Each year as I approach Thanksgiving and Christmas I deal with a myriad of emotions as I warm at the thought of delightful seasonal events but cringe when I think of working extended holiday hours. This year, I've made an internal decision to take... Sign in to see full entry.

posted by Retail_Realist at 9:06 PM | add or view comments (0) | leave calling card | link to this | view only this entry

Saturday, November 22, 2008

Reckless Driving in Retail

Change is inevitable in retail. I get that. Change is good...Change keeps things interesting...Actually, change lines the bottom of my purse for cryin' out loud. For me, all this talk about 'accepting change' and 'understanding the change model' has gotton to be a little overrated. The company... Sign in to see full entry.

posted by Retail_Realist at 9:17 PM | add or view comments (2) | leave calling card | link to this | view only this entry

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

At the end of the retail day...

I had not intended to blog tonight. After an uneventful day at the store, I just wanted to read a few emails, check my on-line banking, and see what the weather guy said about how I need to dress tomorrow. As I connected to my local news web site, I was not surprised to find another misuse of... Sign in to see full entry.

posted by Retail_Realist at 9:38 PM | add or view comments (7) | leave calling card | link to this | view only this entry

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

"Can I be cynical and tired in the same week?"

There are times I am too tired to think of something clever and witty to say on the subject of my all-too-real retail life. Some days I am mildly motivated by the slightest bit of interesting information in my chosen world, but most of the time I am functioning at a level where my smiles come... Sign in to see full entry.

posted by Retail_Realist at 7:38 PM | add or view comments (2) | leave calling card | link to this | view only this entry

Thursday, November 13, 2008

Fitting Room Follies

Welcome to the fitting room! As an employee, you can have a number of special experiences guaranteed to last you a lifetime. Today you may get to discover the 24 tickets that were hidden in the bench by last month's shoplifter. Tomorrow you may get to help a little old woman try on slacks so she... Sign in to see full entry.

posted by Retail_Realist at 8:23 PM | add or view comments (1) | leave calling card | link to this | view only this entry

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The World of Retail... Where customers kick and scream... Where employees laugh and point fingers... Where everyone justs wants a sale and a discount... This is my world. Feel for me.

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