RETAIL THERAPY: THE RAW TRUTH
Confusion, my friends, is a blessing.
I have been out of college for almost two years now and confused is exactly what I was in May of 2016 when I graduated with a degree in Biological Sciences. I realized I didn’t know enough about myself and where I was in life at that moment to make a clear decision about my career. So instead of plunging myself in a masters program I was unsure of, I decided to take a few years off and dig out my passions to figure myself out.
During these past years, I have had a multitude of jobs ranging from the medical field to call centers and everything in between. I was fortunate enough to rediscover the passions pushed aside through college and discover new talents and skills I never knew were hidden inside me.
A few months ago, I decided to take on a retail job on the side at a new outlet that opened up near my house. I initially didn’t think much about it- just another job to bring in some extra cash to pay my bills. After attending all the trainings and holiday parties, meeting the women on my team, and receiving my schedule, I officially started working on Black Friday (a great start date, I know). I was dreading my shift that night but come to the end of it, I was grateful I worked it.
That Black Friday shift changed my entire perspective on the retail industry, and especially on the sales associates.
Us girls (and some guys too) think of retail therapy as the most needed form of indulgence. Other than ice cream, of course. Retail therapy for the distributor is something totally different than retail therapy for the consumer.
The consumer associates retail with self-indulgence, but the distributor associates it with literal therapy.
How? Read on.
I started bonding with my coworkers at the speed of light that night and with each additional shift, we became closer. One coworker in particular seemed to enjoy the shift much more than the others. Let’s name her Alex for privacy purposes. As Alex and I became closer friends, she started brain vomiting her life which included boyfriend trouble and school stress. I started to realize that she didn’t have a life outside her boyfriend and school prior to this job. Retail was her escape:she met new people and formed strong friendships with all of us.
Let’s fast forward to Janine. When I worked my first shift with her, she smelled of heavy cigarettes and always carried her Marlboro packet in the back pocket of her jeans. She seemed bubbly in every shift we shared but the day she revealed her problems came too soon. I had been working an eight hour shift and Janine was supposed to join me on the floor for the rest of my shift, except it had been about an hour and there was no sign of her. My curiosity took the best of me and led me to the back room, where I found her stocking the clothing storage rooms. For those who don’t know how much about retail, “the floor” is the area where clothes are presented for sales and the back room is for employees to take a break, work on stocking new items and grab a bite to eat. Surprised at how defeated she looked, I asked her why she hadn’t been on the floor with me, to which she mentioned that she had a tough day and the managers allowed her to work in the back till she was ready to make a public appearance. I let her know that I was always ready to listen if she wanted to talk about it. She chose not to talk about it but later told me
“You know those days when the last place you want to go to is home? Yeah, today is one of those days.”
BOOM. That hit me hard right in my gut, my heart, my brain. Everywhere. I have those days, you have those days, we all have those days. Retail was actual therapy for her. Her position as sales associate was a way to build self-confidence and take a break from the blows life throws at her and all of us…constantly.
Now what could be so therapeutic about retail? There are countless messy clothes, dirty floors and whining customers. Crying children, messy jewelry and ridiculously long checkout lines that need to be attended encompass the job of a sales associate in retail. But, there is one action that trumps the entire collection of annoyances.
Repetition.
The repetitive act of folding clothes using a folding board and restocking and reforming the floor with new clothes is rejuvenating. You become so focused on creating the perfect creases that you lose track of time. The utter perfection that is expected from your folding skills is reenergizing, rather than draining. And it wasn’t just me. All of my coworkers enjoyed the same, repetitive acts I did.
I had a completely different mindset during training. I imagined myself mundanely folding the same shirt 20 or 30 times a day (something I have very much had to do) with a dull expression on my face. But when I started working on the floor, I surprised myself: I was LOVING the work. I was constantly on my feet, organizing, folding, greeting customers, helping women find the perfect outfit for a spectacular night out or a cozy night in and ringing them out with a big smile on my face.
When I walk through the doors of the store, it’s like I’ve stepped into the upside down. I forget about the world and fully immerse myself into a high-end fashion-run universe.
