Ok, real quick I am just gonna take some deeeeep breaths. Have I mentioned that I work retail? And that the biggest day in retail (therapy) is.... 10 days away.
Black Friday 2011.
As a customer, I am not a Black Friday shopper. I have shopped on Black Friday, but I'm not a crazy who will line up at midnight or anything like that.
This year? My mall is opening up at midnight. Guess which manager is setting her alarm for 10 pm on Thanksgiving night? This girl!!
Actually, come to think of it, I don't know when I'm going to set my alarm for. All the anchors in my mall open at midnight and I'm a little confused as to when people are going to show up and start "waiting" for the big doorbusters. Will I be able to find a parking spot at 11 pm? I'm not even sure! I certainly do NOT have the option of being late.
Last year, I headed to the mall around 3:15 am (my store opened at 5) and it was busy - there were a couple of stores opening at midnight. This year is a whole different beast.
The scariest part is that no one can predict how many people are going to show up and when. We keep details of the store's traffic pattern from years' past - but this is the first year we're opening before 5 am.
Basically, all these words to say: I'm straight-up freaking out. I have NO idea how I'm going to manage to be well-rested enough to head to work at roughly the same time I'd be falling asleep for the night.
Not to mention the fact that I'm 5% grumpy that I will not be spending a second of Thanksgiving with Mr. RH's family. I know that I "chose" retail as my profession (it chose me!), but still. Not getting much time at all with family sucks, no matter the situation. Says the grumpy girl who gets a 4 hour Thanksgiving that starts at, oh, 11 am.
Does anybody know the point at which your body starts shutting down from lack of sleep? Did I mention that in addition to Black Friday I will be at work on Sunday until at least 2 am - but I'm guessing it will be more like 4 am?
Yeah.
Wine time? (Nevermind the fact that it's 6:10 am.)
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12 Classy Comments:
I'm guessing there will be a line at 11pm. Don't stress sister it won't help you. (I know easier said than done) you should really just move your bed to the store. Ha! Poor yourself some wine but in a coffee cup. ;)
I routinely spend 36 consecutive hours at work, and my husband had to do it every third night while on call during his intern year and parts of medical school. As long as you're busy - which it sounds like you will be - the human body can handle it. It's not fun, but none of my all-nighters in lab have killed me. The more you stress over it, the worse it is, though!
Also, you're probably better off trying to sleep in as late as possible instead of getting a few hours of sleep before you head in - the couple hour nap beforehand makes you much groggier and you'll struggle to stay awake more than If you just stay up the whole time. Good luck!!
I vote for sleeping in the back room and getting there at 8 pm.
I ordered the hubs a Kindle Fire for Christmas and it will be here tomorrow. He wants it now. I told him it depends on how nice he is to me. :)
When I worked at Lowe's, I always asked if I could close on Black Friday. I always did that so I could stay in MO until Friday morning instead of rushing back Thursday evening.
If I were you, I would try to get there before 11, there will be lines! You will be able to do it on adrenaline, I did it once when I worked at Wal*Mart for a few months... went in at midnight, worked until 2pm the next day. I didn't know what tired was until I got off my shift and was worried about even driving home. Just keep hydrated, caffeine & water!
XoXo
Why don't you drop your car off early at work, and then have someone meet you there and bring you back to work a little before 11 so you don't have to get there TOO early and don't have to worry about parking?
Also, I think you staying up all day and night will be fine. As long as you sleep in until like 10am on Tday you'll be fine all night. I do that a lot for work and I'm tired when I get off at 8am, but manage just fine!!
I am a retail slave as well and our mall has made it MANDATORY that all stores open up at midnight as well. I work in a specialty Tea Shop.... We don't do sales, we don't do many promotions... who the HELL wants to buy tea at full price at Midnight .. last year we opened at 8 am and didn't even have a sale till 10 am...... its going to kill our labor and hours and Bonus for the month...... total BS!
I work retail part-time and the mall I work in has opened at midnight for the past 4 years...mad house craziness. People will be there before 11 pm. Try to get there before 11 with a coffee in hand! You will need it!!!
I wish you all the best for black friday. I hated working black friday when I worked in retail. HATED it. the only good thing is that it is so busy that the day flies by.
I used to get a ride to work and take a cab home for black friday so I wouldn't have to worry about parking! LOL
Ok. Breathe.
I did this three years in a row in a store that was a top volume store in the company (yep, in Iowa. Crazy).
Here's my advice:
Double check with helpdesk to make sure that you can open the registers early.
Have EVERYTHING, and I mean everything, ready to go Wednesday night. Do not leave anything for Friday morning.
Call all your staff Wednesday and confirm.
If you're worried about parking, drop your car off earlier and get a ride. Or, I bet you'll be fine. Most of the really psycho people are at Target and Walmrt.
If it's not too late, set up a potluck in your backroom. Leaving to eat probably won't be an option, unless you want to wait in line forever.
Run off copies of where everyone will be on the salesfloor and when, give to the staff to keep in their pockets, lanyards, whatever.
Keep a smile on your face.
Don't take the crazies personal.
Drink lots of caffeine.
Good luck lady, you're gonna rock this Black Friday!! I hope your numbers are awesome and you beat LY and plan! :)
Oh goodness, Sarah. The good news about this crazy opening time is you'll be wayyyyyy too delirious to remember it...and hopefully so will the other shoppers, should anything go awry.
Which it won't!
Just keep reminding yourself how "thankful" you are for Mr. RH!
Can you post a review of the fire? Debating buying one of these for a present...
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