Black Friday Debriefing Thread 2010

[Tora]

I just wanted to say Godspeed to all you brave retail employees this dreaded Black Friday. I can only be thankful that as a Canadian I've never had to experience something like this before. Good luck to all of you and remember: killing customers, no matter how justified, gets you fired. :P

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

Good luck to all of you and remember: killing customers, no matter how justified, gets you fired. :P

Sez you. I can make it look like a trampling.

[CrazedClerkthe2nd]

Sez you. I can make it look like a trampling.

I don't doubt you for a minute Irv. For some reason I sense you have a flair for the dramatic.

I have worked two Boxing Days in Canada and two Black Fridays here in the U.S. tomorrow will be my third. In terms of foot traffic they were about equal from what I saw. Believe it or not I actually asked to work tomorrow. I'm not sure why exactly but there's a certain appeal to the madness of Black Friday for me. The closest thing I can liken it to is the feeling I get watch youtube videos of multi car pileups.

[SeasonalSlave]

Working 4:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. in our computer department. I made sure to print out the relevant Black Friday sales to keep on hand for reference if I forget something, because I'm sure I'll be bombarded with questions about stuff hours after we sell out.

I'm also going to bed after this post so I get at least some sleep before I have to go into work.

[Food Lady]

At this very moment We B Toys a mile from me is about to open (just saw it on the news.)

[simplyanother]

I have to work a mid-day shift at Glitter Hell tomorrow. I've previously only worked opens and overnights for Black Friday. I'm scared of what the cranky customers will do. They're pissy enough on regular days. I have no idea what I'll be doing, running a register, on the floor, hiding in the corner by the yarn, or what.

I'm also sick, so it's going to be EXTRA fun! Maybe I'll just down a lot of cold meds and not really care what happens tomorrow. I think that's a solid plan, actually...

[Enjis]

After 30 years working at The People's Republic of (Red Star) department store, I am SO happy to not worry about Black Friday any more.
Believe me, those who are still in the ranks, I feel your pain!
I know what it's like to NEVER have the day after Thanksgiving off, to come in at crazy hours (even earlier this year!) and to deal with those insane coupons that never work the way you think they do.

Blessed Be, oh members of the rank and file!

[Seshat]

I would like to apologize now for the folks I had to visit today. The Pharmacy at CVS, where I grovelled and apologized for filling the prescription my boyfriend got from the ER late last night, and also at the Mart of Walls for having to go buy sandwiches, since I missed dinner because of the aforementioned hospital visit.

Emergencies happen, regardless of day of the year or human desires.

I'm sure the pharmacist understood as soon as he/she recognised the prescribing doctor & hospital on the script.

[LadyAndreca]

I've got a 12-hour closing shift at the Orange Apron. I'm sure I'm going to regret agreeing to it... The powers that be actually approved unlimited overtime for our store for that day, and it was time and a half, and I had the three days before and the day after off. I'm praying I get put at the outdoor register, because I actually don't mind the chilly weather and we'll be doing a brisk business in Christmas trees.

[BrenDAnn]

I'm closing (4p to 11p) at the c-store. We don't really get the crazies, but I'm sure it'll be busy just the same. I had a few come in tonight that were on their way to Mart of Wal, which opened at midnight. An hour ago. I wished them luck, and told them that I hoped they didn't get trampled, or have to beat too many people out of the way. Mean? Probably...But they're crazy!! ETA: Best of luck to those brave souls here working retail!! Please report in ASAP!

[DeltaSierra]

Hey all!

This is my first post! In Canada, we don't have Black Friday, but we do have Boxing Day! Its pretty insane, but from what I hear it isn't as crazy as Black Friday. I no longer work in retail, but from my past experiences working Boxing Day, I send out well wishes to all that are working on Black Friday!

Depends on where you live. Out west here, the stores are trying to jump on the US Black Friday bandwagon, and Zellers, Sears, Candian Tire, etc are all having huge sales tomorrow and some are even calling it Black Friday, others are calling it "Early Holiday Savings Events" etc... There's even doorbusters!

I only plan to go to Sears to do a little bit of stocking-stuffer shopping, before heading to work. I wish you all the best - I won't be dealing with the retail end of things, so everybody has my best wishes for a suck-free day!

[Mystic]

My mate whom works at the Mart of Wal sent me this text message last night at 11:47pm

Dude- I'm standing by a skid of baby clothes I have to cut open at midnight and I have a bunch of crazy women next to me!

I'm sorry, but I had to lawl at the image in my head of my friend surrounded by a mob of salivating women ready to ravage the skid he's protecting as they look at it as a hungry lion looks at a limping antelope.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

Ahh gee whiz, this was a totally new one on me.

So I was helping take pallets of doorbuster furniture off the storage container right? I come around with the forklift....to find some guy christening our storage container.

This was at quarter after three in the morning. I suspect he stumbled over from one of the nearby bars when nature called.

So I holler out "Hey! What are you doin'?" and the guy sees me and goes "Oh shit!" and tries to zip up...and in the process catches his dingle in his zipper. "FUCK!"



And then he drunkenly runs off.

As for Black Friday at da swamp itself....it sucked. If this is any indication, our Christmas sales are going to be right in the shitter. There's been years when you can hardly move because it's wall-to-wall people. It never got that way. The checkout lines weren't long at all. Last year I was waiting nearly an hour to check out with my post-work purchases. This year I only waited a couple minutes.

And this when corporate increased freight somewhat over last year. We're going to have a ton of stuff to take off the floor and re-backstock tonight, and possibly a truck to unload.

Either the best deals were to be found elsewhere this year, or Buy Nothing Day is really catching on locally.

[Rine]

I get to close AGAIN on Black Friday at Sears! I hate cleaning up the store after a mess of a day like this. I work 2-10PM.

Yesterday, my store was open for the first time and there was 200 people in line by the 7 AM open. So, this probably means we'll always be open on Thanksgiving.

Good luck to the other closing folks.

For those of you that opened, have a good sleep the rest of the day!

[ralerin]

Or it could be C. The economy is still in the shitter. I know that I've been trying to find cheap, practical gifts online. Ebay and Amazon are my best friends this year.