As we enter the Retail Hell time of year, I thought I would put together a list of ways you can help retail workers and make their lives a little easier.
1. Not interested? Leave it be!
People are great at telling kids this (looking no touching!), but adults do not lead by example. This isn't to say you can't pick things up unless you're 100% certain you're going to buy it, but I don't think people realise how much they browse with their hands. I very often watch customers walk around absently picking at things with no real interest.
Trying not to do this means workers aren't constantly having to straighten out displays, as messy displays indicate a messy shop, which puts buyers off, meaning it's drilled into us to keep the place clean. It also means at the end of the day there is less to do so we can go home quicker.
2. Don't grab the one in the middle
If there is something hanging up or on the shelf, and you're curious what the item looks like, take the one off the end. It is so much easier to put back neatly. Taking something from the middle usually means (especially with clothes) that it doesn't go back in properly without a lot of faffing, which most people can't be bothered to do and leave for workers to sort out.
3. Put it back where it came from (or ask!)
You would be horrified at how people leave changing rooms. I've seen clothes screwed up on the floor, flung over random rails, and have even found a bikini sanitary sticker stuck to the mirror.
If you can remember where something goes and you are able to do so, please put it back. Even if it's not entirely correct, I promise it's a thousand times easier for me to mildly adjust something than it is to walk out the changing room with a giant armful of clothes or stomp across the store because it got abandoned in a random spot.
If you don't remember where it came from, please ask! We can direct you! More often, you'll probably find retail workers offer to take it back for you - please take this offer! It means we can put it straight back exactly as it needs to be, and saves us a tidying job later. If you need help to put something back (e.g. you're in a wheelchair and can't reach), again ask and we will be happy to help!
It's a busy time of year and that can often mean workers are stretched thin. Please queue patiently at the tills. Please understand we can only go so fast. Please don't interrupt if we are clearly helping someone else. Ultimately, please remember that we are human too and have worked long hours multiple days in a row.
A lot of people feel that they can come in and start browsing five minutes from closing time. How this is handled will vary from store to store, but coming in at this time often means people messing up what we just tidied and stops us from going home.
Also, a lot of shops will do their cashing up in the last hour, especially near the end. Once the cashing up is done, cash payments are not likely to be accepted. If you are going to do last minute shopping before closing time, bring your cards with you.
6. Be Black Friday/Saturday savvy
I'm not in the US and I can't say this is true for every store, but for some Black Friday is treated as the midwinter sale. Again, I can't speak for everyone, but where I work we will be in Black Friday prices at least a week beforehand, if not longer.
Repricing takes time, often multiple days depending on how much stock there is to get through, and unless a brand forks out for their staff to do discounting the night before after closing time, there's a good chance that prices will be down earlier than that. The Thursday is probably a good bet.
Also, on these days it gets very busy very quickly. If you're adamant to do Black Friday shopping in person, be prepared to get there early. Of the two days, Friday will be the quietest as there will still be people working, but the Saturday will be manic.
7. Give your kids headphones
If you plan to either give or use a device to occupy your child at some point during your shopping trip, even if it's just offering them your own phone, for the love of god buy some kiddie wireless headphones.
This is included for the white noise as well. Because holy hell, people do not understand volume control. I have been one side of the store and able to hear every word of Peppa Pig coming from the other side. It disturbs the entire shop, and is especially frustrating when these customers spend a long time in the store, because we, the retail workers who cannot escape, have to listen to nursery rhymes and stormy rain noises and whatever else for however long it takes for things to be browsed, tried on, discussed, and bought.
We hate it when people play tiktoks in public. Also hate cocomelon in public.
8. Understand why your children are bored and misbehaving
Parents do not realise how awful shopping is for kids.
You are going to different stores, but cannot pick which ones you go into. Your parents are touching things, but you cannot touch them. Your parents are buying things, but you can't have anything. Stay still in this spot with nothing to do. Don't move away. Follow me exactly. Be quiet. Don't be hungry, thirsty, or need the toilet.
The result? Misbehavior and embarrassed, flustered parents! Rinse and repeat several times and now shopping is the Dreaded Activity that parents hate (feel judged, feel like bad parents) and kids loathe (get told off, nothing nice happens)
Suggestion: Give them a list of things to find (a pink jacket, black shoes with laces, a bag of pasta, a purple notebook), ask for their input (do you think Uncle James would wear something like this?), let them safely explore a little (can you go up this aisle and get the flour?), give them the bag to hold, literally think of anything to engage your kid! And understand that if you are out all day, then they are probably getting tired! Have regular breaks! Let them rest!
When kids are wound up, bored, and under-stimulated, they seek things out to do. In my store, that usually manifests in them climbing onto the displays where the mannequins are. I always have to step in (risking the wrath of parents who don't like their children being told off), because this is not safe. There are a lot things that can hurt kids in shops. You will find companies cheap out when fitting stores, resulting in things not being made to withstand the weight of a six-year-old.
Stands are wobbly. Rails will tip over. Here in the UK, a boy was literally killed when a mirror fell on him. By figuring out ways to help keep your kid engaged and happy, you reduce the likelihood of them misbehaving and potentially getting hurt.
What a happy note to end on...
Thank you for coming to my TedTalk. Fellow retail survivors, feel free to add with more advise!
