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View Full Version : Working in retail is very odd.


Mammamel
12-07-2007, 10:25 AM
You see all kinds of things. For instance normally sales are slow the beginning of the week and pick up around Thursday.


This week, Monday was average, Tuesday was shocking! Our sales on Tuesday rivaled last Saturday! Then Wednesday was slow and Thursday seemed to barely have a pulse. My theory is everyone decided at once to beat the crowds and shop on Tuesday.

On Tuesday one lady came in and bought ALL our remote control helicopters. Granted that was only 5 but still! Another came and bought all three of our deluxe Zoomorph sets. Then yesterday a lady came in and bought… I am not kidding, $46.90 in rubber ducks! (At average $3 per duck that’s 14 ducks plus tax!)

One day last week we had this real pert little gal come in, she had this cute little Irish hat and the plaid skirt, blond curls, she was maybe 4. She stopped beside a bin. “Oh!” says she, “what cool rats!”… I admit that was the last thing I expected to hear her say!

I get glimpses of things too. Like the church nursery lady who came wanting some educational toys for ages 3-5, my coworker looked at me and said, “You take this one, that’s your specialty.”
So the lady and I walked and talked and she ended up with a wish list of several items. She said now I go ask for the money. I suggested she ask the parents to pitch in, but she looked at me as if I was nuts and said, “oh! They won’t do that!” To me that is sad.

I enjoy 90% of my job. Watching the kids play with the demo table is one of my favorite parts. I have seen many aspiring chefs working the cutting food, and the brand new cutting fruit is a hit as well. Jay Jay and Old Oscar evoke squeals of joy from littles who recognize them. There are wedgits that are really cool, and well loved. Then we have the dress me bear puzzle, a box of different faces and outfits for a bear. Of course we also have the old time favorite, brightly colored wooden blocks!

A couple weeks ago we had a group of guys come in, and one of the big ‘uns sat with the youngest, who was about 12 and built castles for an hour.

Then there are the walmart people. The ones who come in and say yeah I like this or that, come on honey lets go to walmart. They annoy me, but they can go to walmart, they won’t find what we have there. My boss is very careful about that.

Overall, most of our customers are loyal, and decent. Several know we all know a thing or 2 about toys so they trust us to pick out the right stuff.

I loved the gramma that came in Wednesday, looking for and finding, the perfect jewelry boxes for her 3 granddaughters. As well as the college guy that came in to get a gift for his girl, and win a bet. Those folks are a lot of fun!

Yep, I hear a lot of folks say they don’t like working retail, and most likely if I had any other job, I wouldn’t either! This job though, is cooooooooooool Beans!

Avie
12-07-2007, 11:50 AM
Your job sounds awesome! I have worked in retail before and I always enjoyed it. My DH is in retail and he just loves working with all the different customers.

maritimemama
12-07-2007, 03:21 PM
I have never done retail for any length of time but it seems like your place of work is a very decent place, some retail places make you push and push for sales quotas. that would drive me batty! i wish my boys were still into toys.

ilovemykids
12-07-2007, 07:22 PM
I worked retail for 30 years. I started as a sales person and worked my way up to a regional Mgr. Retail is hard but sometimes the customers can make your day. My favorite part was when I went back after the boys were born. I was a part-time salesperson and I loved it!!!

Nachela

Lisa94
12-07-2007, 07:40 PM
Oh wow your workplace sounds like a lot of fun.
I am guessing you work in a local small toy store?
We only have 1 of those in our town. It is so neat. Like the toy stores you see in old movies. I love it!

smlfreys
12-08-2007, 01:16 PM
That sounds like such a fun job Mel. I worked at a store called the paper factory for a while (it closed a couple of years ago) and this time of year scared me LOL. Christmas eve was the scariest, because that is when the people who did not think ahead would come in looking for paper I even had a guy beg me to wrap all his presents LOL.

Unregistered
03-06-2008, 06:51 PM
Alot of times I have to go to work counting my blessing so I have a postive outlook when I get there. But after abit I meet a customer who makes my day worthwhile. Linda

Jalynn
03-08-2008, 07:35 AM
I started working in retail when I was 14 yrs old...I loved it and really miss the contact with the customers...some become like family! I loved the "something different every day" theory of it....or you could say the ''good, bad & ugly" of it! I miss it but then again I love being a SAHM who is never "home".....!

teakettle
03-08-2008, 08:01 AM
:) sounds like a cool store, mel.