Black Friday: A Retail Worker’s Nightmare

Kate LaPlaca

Staff Writer

As the clock strikes midnight on Thanksgiving eve, shoppers of all kinds line up outside stores across the country, eager for the year’s biggest deals. While many see Black Friday as a chance to save money and have a shopping spree, retail associates experience it from a very different perspective.

From behind the register, the day feels like controlled chaos. “The moment those doors open, it’s nonstop,” said one TJMAXX associate. “People rush in, before you can even take a breath, there’s already a line at your register minutes after the store is opened.”

The usual hum of a store transforms into a roar of voices, beeping scanners, and hurried footsteps. Associates race to restock shelves, answer questions, and keep up with the crowds. “I think I fold the same pile of clothes ten times in one hour,” another floor associate joked.

While the experience can be overwhelming, some employees admit there’s an odd sense of energy and teamwork that comes with the day. “We’re all tired, but we’re in it together,” said one TJMAXX Front-End Manager. “It’s exhausting when it’s over.”

By closing time, the store floor is scattered with empty hangers and misplaced items all over the ground, a visual reminder of the frenzy that was there mere hours before.

Yet despite the exhaustion, many associates say surviving Black Friday has become a badge of honor, giving you more opportunities to work during the crazy Christmas season, which most people want especially around the holidays.

“It’s not easy,” one manager said with a laugh, “but if you can handle Black Friday, you can handle anything.”Which is good because the next 30 days will be a retail worker’s worst nightmare, black Friday is just the beginning of a month of frenzy.