HOLIDAY HELL WEEK AS SEEN FROM A RETAIL EMPLOYEE

THE OUTFIT CONSISTS OF:

BELK: STEVE MADDEN SUNGLASSES

FOREVER 21: PLEATHER JACKET

CATO: KNEE BOOTS (NEW) AND HOUNDSTOOTH SKIRT

JCPENNEY: SATIN BLOUSE

Hi Fashion Loves,

Our Family Thankgiving took place at Lake Hartwell in Townville South Carolina with the leaves still showing their wonderful fall colors.  The lake was so tranquil and with the drought taking place I got to stroll on the beach which usually doesn't exist.

  The weather has the smell of fall in the air but is unseasonaly warm so the outfit I chose fit the day.  The Satin Blue Blouse from JcPenney I have had for awhile but looks beautiful in fall and winter.  The Blouses Satin Blue Clolor is rich and fits beautifully with my Houndstooth Skirt from Cato.  I love the length of the skirt so I could add my New Faux Suede Knee High Boots from Cato.  These are the most comfortable Boots and makes you feel Sexy at the same time.  

As I stated before it is warm but the weather cools off in the afternoon so I wore my Pleather Jacket from Forever 21 with Spikes because after Thanksgiving Dinner I am off to work at 5pm...

I am a Retail Employee so I have to partiscipate in this  Hell they call Black Friday which begins on Thanksgiving afternoon but for Retail Employees the Hustle and Bustle is not one day but begins in October and ends in January with Inventory.  

When I was going to college and working at Belk in the Haywood Mall in Greenville SC the season was magical we were only open 1 extra hour so the exhaustion level wasn't that bad.  The customers were happy except for very few that were grinches and the associates were given breakfast when we had Tree Decorating Day and everyone was happy.  That time of A Magical Retail Season is gone we are open til midnight closer to the holidays, most customers are just mad, associates are worked to the bone and must keep a smile on their face with 1-3 hours a sleep a night.  

See Fashion Loves there is a downfall of people insisting on working on Thanksgiving and open UnGodly Hours during the season the Hiring of Seasonal Associates has GONE DOWN drastically none wants to work during these hours.  I hear people all the time saying there is not enough people well they are correct we have had job fair after job fair with very few hirings due to hours at the holiday season.  The people that are being hired are quitting because they are screamed at and have things thrown at them by customers.  I have seen New Associates hide in the backroom til the rush is over and fly like the wind to their cars never to be seen from again....  The customers complain about no more free gift wrap, well the Older Generation who were the Gift Wrappers durning the Holiday Season are retired and Do Not want to work on Thanksgiving or the late hours. 

The demand of consumers wanting to be open on Thanksgiving and open these late hours has resulted in lacking of customer assistance because there are not enough employees.  

Fashion Loves people demand because they want and now you are paying the price. 

 I also hear if you don't like it quit...Well people have, a lot of people....and I plan on getting out myself but what about the people that have been there for 25 years or more.   The poor people who are getting close to retirement can't just quit they have time vested so they have to suffer until they retire.  

This trend of opening on Thanksgiving only began 5 years ago and most people thought it would go away.

There is also another sadness to opening extremely early and closing extremely late is the managers are working 6 days now so the managers are exhausted the associates are exhausted so the comradery has gone away.  The managers and associates are so tired there are arguments left and right where they are usually close.  The Department Store I work at is like a family and are very close, managers included but now everyone is frustrated with each other.....

Fashion Loves let me give you and example of what I am speaking of just for Thanksgiving Weekend.... 

1. Thanksgiving Thursday I worked from 5pm-11pm

2. Friday the day after I worked 5:30am-3:30pm

with the addrenaline running I didn't go to sleep til about 3am, I just laid in the bed waiting to got to sleep.

3.  Due to lack of sleep I couldn't process what to tell customers and I couldn't read my Fine Jewelry Tags because my eyes were burning and blurry...

4. Saturday I worked 1:30pm-10pm

5. Sunday I worked 10:30am-7:30pm with new markdowns to do. There was only me and one other person in my department and a crowd of people.... So Markdowns were not done.

This is a descprition of Holiday Hell Week As Seen From A Retail Employees point of view.  

Fashion Loves due to my time in Retail My Adventure Fashion Blog has become more of an Adventure Blog.  I have am not interested in going shopping but I make myself go because I feel cute with something new but it is not Retail Therapy I am in and back out just as fast and I don't go very often.  I prefer to be out of a building and in the world of nature and historial cities... 

Fashion Loves feel for the Retail Employees during this Holiday Season they don't make that much money to go through what they got through and their Families visiting from out of town they do not see.  The Grandmothers waiting on retirement are stressed beyond what they can handle and mostly miss their Grandchildrens holiday plays and are to tired to read them a Christmas Story at night. 

The result of Consumer Demand and the I want now mentality is causing disconnections in Families and the Human Condition.... 

Is Material Items you can't take with you really worth the Downfall of American Families and Connections to People?

Consumer Consumption is necessary to pay salaries to Retail Employees but is the Extreme during the Holiday Season really helping any?  What has happened to the rest of the year the Retail Industry is no longer pulling in the Consumers so they are desparate at the end of the year....

Retail Industry what are you lacking that has caused The Magical Holiday Season a thing of the past?

Love,

Dana