The crowds! The lights! The holiday music! All the decorations! So much cheer!
Let me ask you, how did you read that? With delight and anticipation of the approaching holidays or with a hint of sarcasm and a growing feeling of impending dread? Much of that might depend on whether you are now or have in the past worked in retail over the holidays. Maybe in high school or maybe now you’re part of the largest economic sector in our country. I’ve been the door-busting shopper bursting with holiday cheer. I’ve also been the business manager on the other side bracing for impact. As I am currently a wine rep for an alcohol distributor, I continue to provide services for retailers and participate in the holiday mayhem as preparations get earlier each year. Anymore, starting August 15th, it’s go time.
The United States is considered a developed nation, with the majority of our economic development and growth based not in manufacturing but in services. Services include any profession that provides a service for hire. Teachers, doctors, financial advisors all qualify. But a large part of our capitalist economy is based in retail. A lot of us work there. There are currently over 4 million retail workers nationwide and retailers are expected to hire another 768 thousand more for the holiday season. Factor in folks like me, who sell, deliver, and merchandize for retailers, and you’re talking about a significant majority of the population.
Just in case it’s been a minute since you’ve worked in the retail industry, let me take this opportunity to remind you what it’s like.
It’s hard, no two ways about it. And the attitude you see as a shopper from your retailers is often a reflection of the attitude we see from you.
Here’s a generalized snapshot of a day in the life of a holiday retailer: get up early, get to work, spruce, check decor (which inevitably needs adjusting) and lights. Fix all that’s gone awry. Get that holiday music going. Twenty percent of yearly business is done during the few weeks of the holidays so you’re constantly restocking and reordering and oh my gosh is that “All I want for Christmas is You” playing AGAIN? Smile, help the customers, hug some necks and pass out candy (if you’re lucky there are baked goods because the stress = sleeplessness), take a five minute bathroom break and attempt to do some holiday shopping of your own which primarily consists of calling other business owners and leaving messages because they aren’t on the same bathroom break schedule. Resist the urge to give in and shop on-line. Stay open later as a convenience to your customers. Come home dead on your feet and stare blankly at your own family because you have no more cheer to give and please for the love of all that’s holy, do not even think about playing that Christmas CD.
It’s like every holiday season is a hazing for retailers. While we might never mention it to customers, we are all talking together about that vacation planned for January and hanging on for dear life until then and just hoping we aren’t sick this year. Sickness is another obstacle to tackle during the holiday season, so maybe if you’re sick, stay home and don’t think you’re not contagious just because you’re a grown up. YOUR SICK GERMS ARE ALL OVER YOUR CREDIT CARD and now all over me.
At the same time, we love every single minute of it, knowing that the holiday season is what sees us through the J months (January, June, July), when statistically speaking, no one is spending money. We love seeing your cheerful faces, hearing about your holiday plans, and otherwise catching up with folks we don’t see too often during the rest of the year. And most days, we are even okay when you’re grouchy or feeling under the weather, we get that. We do our best to cut you some slack, and hope you can return the favor.
Please do not yell at your retailer. If you are feeling so overwhelmed, so under pressure, or so ignored or mistreated at a specific retailer, please step outside. Go sit in your car. Listen to some 90’s punk and get your head on right and then try it again. Folks, we are everyone of us, reaching for that magic. Sometimes we miss. Your service sector friends are TIRED. So often we have sacrificed our at-home magic to give some to you, so be kind. Always. Even if there’s a string of lights out, or you happen to catch us when the Christmas music is off. If your latte accidentally got made with whole milk instead of skim, reach out first in kindness. Say Merry Christmas and mean it. You never know when your enthusiasm for the season may be just want your retail workers need.
Cheers and hang in there. Soon it will be January and regardless of which tone of voice you used to read the opening exclamations, we will all miss it when it’s over.
