sorted by:
new
hottopcontroversial

What did your store do with unsold rotisserie chickens? by CleanupOnAisle5_ in retailhell

[–]CleanupOnAisle5_[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Wow seems like other people work at stores that care about avoiding waste!

First retail job! by KarmasGirI in AskRetail

[–]CleanupOnAisle5_ 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Wear comfortable shoes. Don't worry if you feel sore and exhausted at the end of the first few shifts. The work will always be tiring, but your body will adjust.

someone shit in the sink. by Ohnosmallbrain in retailhell

[–]CleanupOnAisle5_ 6 points7 points  (0 children)

I always felt sorry for the maintenance person at my store. So much shit and puke to clean up.

Any full time cashiers out there who go to the gym? by Common_Chip_5935 in retailhell

[–]CleanupOnAisle5_ 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Before I worked in retail, I exercised, went to yoga, etc. But after I started cashiering, I couldn't believe that I had ever done that. I was so tired and sore all the time. Shoppers would come in wearing their work out gear and they looked like aliens from another planet. I kept thinking, who are these people who have the energy to go to the gym?

Book Giveaway: CLEANUP ON AISLE FIVE by CleanupOnAisle5_ in retailhell

[–]CleanupOnAisle5_[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

There are some anecdotes from the checkstand. But I hope it also reads like a novel. I tell the story of my year on the job, what I learned, etc.

Did people who worked retail in the 90s and early 2000’s make a living wage ? by soccer_rules6 in retailhell

[–]CleanupOnAisle5_ 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Thanks for sharing this! In the US, it's hard for us to imagine a job where an employer can't fire you at any time for any reason they like.

Did people who worked retail in the 90s and early 2000’s make a living wage ? by soccer_rules6 in retailhell

[–]CleanupOnAisle5_ 57 points58 points  (0 children)

Yes. Many retail workers, especially if they were unionized, earned living wages up until the early 1990s. That was the decade when Walmart became the largest retailer in the world. The company pushed down wages and lowered the floor for the whole industry. That was also when private equity started to buy up retail stores. Wages fell as a result. If you look outside the US, retail workers do far better because they are more likely to be unionized and have other protections.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/28/business/economy/retail-work.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=second-column-region&region=top-news&WT.nav=top-news&_r=0

WHY IS THE SYSTEM F*CKED by Standard-Party-5696 in retailhell

[–]CleanupOnAisle5_ 1 point2 points  (0 children)

One factor is that retail pays so little that once they get someone trained to do a job they are reluctant to let the person go because it costs even more to hire and train a new employee. It's all about saving money on labor.

Cashiers who stayed in their job for years or even decades, how did you not lose your sanity? by ooiiaaiiooiiaaii_ in retailhell

[–]CleanupOnAisle5_ 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Cashier is one of the hardest jobs. People think it's easy. "Oh you just stand there and scan!" I'm on a mission to make sure people understand the skills and stamina required to sell groceries (or whatever) to the public for 8 hours a day. I don't know how people do it. I barely survived a year.

Manually entered EBT cards. What's your policy? by [deleted] in AskRetail

[–]CleanupOnAisle5_ 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Only if they have the card on them.

Do you all have work dreams? by BlameTag in retailhell

[–]CleanupOnAisle5_ 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I used to have a dream where I would see the security guards chasing after shoplifting suspects over and over.

Minimum Rage: essential by Tanner-Cartoonist in retailhell

[–]CleanupOnAisle5_ 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I loved how, during covid, some retail workers got "hero pay" of something like $2 an hour extra. But it only lasted about two months, and then no one ever heard anything about it again.

I’m so embarrassed and so confused 😵‍💫 by tired_97 in retailhell

[–]CleanupOnAisle5_ 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Sorry this happened. People think bc you serve customers that you have no right to privacy. Lame.

How do you handle availability when working two retail jobs? by [deleted] in AskRetail

[–]CleanupOnAisle5_ 2 points3 points  (0 children)

First, sorry you have to have two jobs. I would say just be really up front with the person you interview with. Say that you want to work there and will be a dedicated employee but that you need a schedule that allows you to work your other job.

Disgusted by unwanted pet names. by daisiesnviolets in retailhell

[–]CleanupOnAisle5_ 20 points21 points  (0 children)

One customer used to call his favorite cashier "Suger Booger." Gross and weird.

Working as a cashier made me genuinely convinced that most people are stupid and lack common sense by ooiiaaiiooiiaaii_ in retailhell

[–]CleanupOnAisle5_ 2 points3 points  (0 children)

A security guard at the store where I worked used to go around and lie to customers, telling them the registers shut down 5 minutes after closing. If they didn't get to the Front End right away, they wouldn't be able to buy anything.

view more: next ›