Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, marks the start of the busiest shopping season in the United States.
For retail workers, this period often brings heightened stress, extended hours, and a surge in customer interactions—both pleasant and challenging.
Despite shifts in shopping trends, with online sales growing and holiday deals stretching over weeks, retail sales during Black Friday and Cyber Monday are projected to grow 5 percent this year, reaching a record $75 billion.
Retail Workers Under Pressure
More than 4 million Americans work in retail, earning a median hourly wage of $16.30.
However, their working conditions, pay, and benefits vary widely across employers, with less than 5 percent of the workforce unionized.
Many workers describe the holiday season as particularly demanding due to understaffing, increased workloads, and customer impatience.
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Struggles During the Holidays
Margaux Lantelme, a retail employee at REI in Chicago, highlighted the challenges workers face during a press conference organized by the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU).
She described the holiday season as a time when retail employees are expected to work longer hours under intense conditions.
Stores face issues with:
- Understaffing: Stores often fail to increase staffing levels despite the surge in customer traffic.
- Scheduling Issues: Workers are frequently expected to sacrifice time with their families to meet business demands.
- Customer Behavior: The stress of holiday shopping often leads to increased impatience and rudeness from customers.
Lantelme said:
“It’s not fair that retail and service workers are expected to give up important time with family for a job that ultimately does not care about or value them at all.”
She also said the issues that drove her workplace to unionize are magnified during the holiday season.
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Changing Customer Attitudes
Frontline retail workers have also observed a noticeable shift in customer behavior during the holidays.
Cynthia Russo, a longtime Bloomingdale’s employee in New York City and member of RWDSU Local 3, described the atmosphere as fraught with “disgruntled attitudes.”
Kathryn Harper, a senior bookseller at McNally Jackson in New York City, said, “People just forget their manners” as the holiday season approaches.
Edwin Quezada, a produce manager at Stop & Shop on Long Island, noted the diminished appreciation for retail workers compared to their treatment during the Covid-19 pandemic.
He said: “During this time of year, we want to keep it joyful, and to keep it joyful is to have patience with us.”
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Safety Concerns Persist
The holiday season also raises concerns about workplace safety.
Joan Solomon, a longtime Macy’s employee in New York City, expressed said while the holiday shopping rush isn’t as intense as it once was, the risk of workplace violence remains a significant issue.
New York recently passed a law requiring retailers to adopt safety measures, but these regulations won’t take effect until next year.
The Human Side of Retail
Despite the challenges, many retail workers strive to maintain a positive demeanor during the holiday season.
Solomon said: “We just have to do our jobs, be merry, be happy, and go home to our families.”
However, their experiences underscore the importance of fair treatment, adequate staffing, and patience from customers during this demanding time of year.
Looking Forward
As holiday sales climb to new heights, addressing the needs of the retail workforce becomes increasingly crucial.
Steps like unionization, enhanced safety measures, and better scheduling practices could help ensure a more sustainable and supportive environment for the millions of workers who power the holiday shopping season.
