I think my job brought in lunch for us on Black Friday. But that's because they didn't want us to leave to actually take a lunch.
#retailincentives
We got a turkey that smelled like farts when I worked at Old Navy. I remember singing "Turkey smells like farts and so does your mom" whenever "My Favorite Things" came on (which was every 40 minutes, and is NOT a Christmas song).
Serious question. If retailers compensated their employees better, would there be less of an outcry about working that day? Like actually did holiday pay and paid decent wages to begin with?
I also don't see it going away, so in my head that would make it a bit better (H gets paid holiday pay so he always works). Or am I continuing to talk out of my ass?
To me, this is the kicker. I'm neither essential personnel nor highly compensated but I've had to work my share of holidays. That OT pay is pretty great when you're just starting out and making $10/hr. But while we're all required to work *some* holidays, I always felt like it was fairly divided.
Now let's be clear: I am definitely sympathetic to retail workers and I HATE the mass consumerism around Christmas with a passion. But I just can't take a hard line on NO ONE SHOULD WORK. Like, Thanksgiving through Christmas is a period of mass hysteria for some people and not everyone really gets it up for "the most wonderful time of the year" bullshit. What I AM in favor of is greater worker protections so that people either get a choice in whether or not to work, or they're compensated fairly so that they have extra money in their pockets for their own holiday gift list.
Post by StrawberryBlondie on Sept 30, 2014 19:35:37 GMT -5
I really really hate this.
That said, we do Thanksgiving dinner at actual dinnertime, so the person in my family that works retail will probably have a better chance of coming if her store is open all day than if they open at 8 pm on T-day.
Is there evidence that the actual number of shoppers is increasing?
Yes and no. It is understanding that actual number of shoppers going to stores generally is decreasing, since people are buying more things online. But given how most people just don't have the same spending power they did years ago, I think Wal-mart, Target, etc, are seeing an uptick in shoppers, both in store and online.
Then you have tremendous conglomeration in the department store area -- instead of smaller, regional chains like Hecht's and Filene's, Macy's is everywhere. So there's some concentration in the pull of the big retailers. Macy's may have less shoppers per store than it did before Amazon, but it has a much larger market share and it may have more sway. And while I know nothing about this, I'd bet serious cash that there's been a lot of consolidation in the world of mall holding companies.
This is really about the mall companies. Nearly every mall retailer these days has an online presence, and I'm sure the mall companies aren't thrilled that they are losing money to online sales. It would not surprise me one bit if the mall corporations were giving kickbacks and incentives to their anchor stores to open up, because if they are on board, then it's easier to force the smaller companies to play ball.
Is there evidence that the actual number of shoppers is increasing?
Yes and no. It is understanding that actual number of shoppers going to stores generally is decreasing, since people are buying more things online. But given how most people just don't have the same spending power they did years ago, I think Wal-mart, Target, etc, are seeing an uptick in shoppers, both in store and online.
Then you have tremendous conglomeration in the department store area -- instead of smaller, regional chains like Hecht's and Filene's, Macy's is everywhere. So there's some concentration in the pull of the big retailers. Macy's may have less shoppers per store than it did before Amazon, but it has a much larger market share and it may have more sway. And while I know nothing about this, I'd bet serious cash that there's been a lot of consolidation in the world of mall holding companies.
This is really about the mall companies. Nearly every mall retailer these days has an online presence, and I'm sure the mall companies aren't thrilled that they are losing money to online sales. It would not surprise me one bit if the mall corporations were giving kickbacks and incentives to their anchor stores to open up, because if they are on board, then it's easier to force the smaller companies to play ball.
So is this really the fault of the "greedy" consumer or stores taking liberties to hold onto a shrinking number of shoppers?
Yes and no. It is understanding that actual number of shoppers going to stores generally is decreasing, since people are buying more things online. But given how most people just don't have the same spending power they did years ago, I think Wal-mart, Target, etc, are seeing an uptick in shoppers, both in store and online.
Then you have tremendous conglomeration in the department store area -- instead of smaller, regional chains like Hecht's and Filene's, Macy's is everywhere. So there's some concentration in the pull of the big retailers. Macy's may have less shoppers per store than it did before Amazon, but it has a much larger market share and it may have more sway. And while I know nothing about this, I'd bet serious cash that there's been a lot of consolidation in the world of mall holding companies.
This is really about the mall companies. Nearly every mall retailer these days has an online presence, and I'm sure the mall companies aren't thrilled that they are losing money to online sales. It would not surprise me one bit if the mall corporations were giving kickbacks and incentives to their anchor stores to open up, because if they are on board, then it's easier to force the smaller companies to play ball.
So is this really the fault of the "greedy" consumer or stores taking liberties to hold onto a shrinking number of shoppers?
Well, the malls wouldn't have any reason to be open if people didn't show up, so it is to an extent, the "fault" of both.
That said, I don't think I'd call the consumer "greedy." Nor do I think they are stupid. Marketing is powerful. Look at the outlet mall thread - corporations know people are enticed by a belief that they are getting a deal, which in turn drives the sales strategy. These companies spend millions of dollars studying consumer behavior and running focus groups to figure out the best way to make the most amount of money. They have access to unprecedented amounts of data culled from Internet cookies and apps. They manipulate it and study it and design increasingly targeted advertisements that can entice people to do things they'd never consider doing, like entering a Target on Thanksgiving. I don't think people are "falling" for it in the sense that they are getting tricked because there is always going to be something that legitimately is a good deal for someone even if it doesn't seem like a good deal to you. I think people are just responding in a normal fashion to the information that is presented to them.
And I think they are more likely now than ever before to be responding the way they do - by going to Target on Thanksgiving to get a deal - because they are more stretched with finances than ever before.
So with that in mind, the whole Black Friday (and Thursday) doorbuster concept leaves a bad taste in my mouth. They seem like some kind of real life Hunger Games. Hey people strapped for cash! We are going to dangle some "deals" out here for you, sit at our mahogany desks in our mansions, and watch you all stampede through doors to get them for sport. The fact that it's now spilling into Thursday to me makes it even more depressing.
it feels like this conversation, like black Friday, starts earlier and earlier every year.
next up, "elf on the shelf," "merry christmas v. merry x-mas v. happy holidays," and christmas charity drives - does the poor kid really need an iphone 6?
Just kidding, he is creepy, but I still love that little fucker. Should we go 9 pages about the elf now?
I'm still at full stop with your TG hate. That's my favorite shit ever. And I hate turkey with a passion reserved for Fabio covers.
Pumpkin pie? YES PLEASE!
I don't like pumpkin pie either. I mean, I like pumpkin things, but I like pumpkin cheesecake. My MIL is a raging bitchface about TG and one of the things she does that bugs the shit out of me is that she only makes like 5 dishes and makes huge portions of them. So instead of having a variety of desserts (like my family does/did), she makes tons of pumpkin pie even though she knows that only a few people prefer it. She also doesn't have mashed potatoes and acts like a cow if anyone wants to make them/bring them. MASHED POTATOES. Also her food is bland and it sucks. It's truly awful, and she always throws shit fits leading up to the holidays. We have only gone to their house 1 in the past 5 years for TG, but she manages to add drama and craziness to the holiday anyway by throwing her shit fits.
Basically, I hate most of the food, my MIL acts like a toddler in the 2m leading up to TG, regardless of our plans, and my cousin died of a drug overdose on TG 12 years ago. It was never the same after that with my family because the last time we all saw him was that day at TG dinner at my parents' house and he was high and acting crazy after a fairly recent stint in rehab (one of many). That's around the time my husband and I got together so I got to experience his asshole mother the first year following his death, too, which didn't help because it was still pretty raw and I kept thinking "this petty bitch...". We're slowly but surely cutting my MIL's antics out of our holiday plans, but it seems like no matter what we do, she manages to cause me to want to explode at some point leading up to the holiday.
TG is the only holiday I hate... maybe if they come out with a TG elf I will change my tune!
I'm still at full stop with your TG hate. That's my favorite shit ever. And I hate turkey with a passion reserved for Fabio covers.
Pumpkin pie? YES PLEASE!
I don't like pumpkin pie either. I mean, I like pumpkin things, but I like pumpkin cheesecake. My MIL is a raging bitchface about TG and one of the things she does that bugs the shit out of me is that she only makes like 5 dishes and makes huge portions of them. So instead of having a variety of desserts (like my family does/did), she makes tons of pumpkin pie even though she knows that only a few people prefer it. She also doesn't have mashed potatoes and acts like a cow if anyone wants to make them/bring them. MASHED POTATOES. Also her food is bland and it sucks. It's truly awful, and she always throws shit fits leading up to the holidays. We have only gone to their house 1 in the past 5 years for TG, but she manages to add drama and craziness to the holiday anyway by throwing her shit fits.
Basically, I hate most of the food, my MIL acts like a toddler in the 2m leading up to TG, regardless of our plans, and my cousin died of a drug overdose on TG 12 years ago. It was never the same after that with my family because the last time we all saw him was that day at TG dinner at my parents' house and he was high and acting crazy after a fairly recent stint in rehab (one of many). That's around the time my husband and I got together so I got to experience his asshole mother the first year following his death, too, which didn't help because it was still pretty raw and I kept thinking "this petty bitch...". We're slowly but surely cutting my MIL's antics out of our holiday plans, but it seems like no matter what we do, she manages to cause me to want to explode at some point leading up to the holiday.
TG is the only holiday I hate... maybe if they come out with a TG elf I will change my tune!
You need to come up by me. My mom couldn't cook for shit but somehow she made an AWESOME TG dinner. Right before she died for some reason I asked her what she did and she told me (basically margarine and thyme) and my sister and I rock the shit out of that meal.
And your SIL sucks. There should always be all the desserts. Apple pie? Check. Pumpkin something? Check check. Brownie truffle with chocolate pudding? Check check check. And fruit, of course. Lol.
Yes, I wish the stores could be closed just a couple of days, whether it be Christmas, Thanksgiving,September 20, whenever, I don't care. We don't need to go to the store everyday. Thanksgiving would be nice because it's sort of America's non-religious days where we consider caring about something bigger as a collective entitity.
I agree. If it can't be thanksgiving, can we offer Labor Day off to people who actually labor? like with their bodies and on weekends/other holidays? Office workers getting the day off is nice, but they also often get pd. vacations, pd. sick time, and other random Monday holidays all year. Let's give the retail, fast food, construction workers ect a day too.
I don't like pumpkin pie either. I mean, I like pumpkin things, but I like pumpkin cheesecake. My MIL is a raging bitchface about TG and one of the things she does that bugs the shit out of me is that she only makes like 5 dishes and makes huge portions of them. So instead of having a variety of desserts (like my family does/did), she makes tons of pumpkin pie even though she knows that only a few people prefer it. She also doesn't have mashed potatoes and acts like a cow if anyone wants to make them/bring them. MASHED POTATOES. Also her food is bland and it sucks. It's truly awful, and she always throws shit fits leading up to the holidays. We have only gone to their house 1 in the past 5 years for TG, but she manages to add drama and craziness to the holiday anyway by throwing her shit fits.
Basically, I hate most of the food, my MIL acts like a toddler in the 2m leading up to TG, regardless of our plans, and my cousin died of a drug overdose on TG 12 years ago. It was never the same after that with my family because the last time we all saw him was that day at TG dinner at my parents' house and he was high and acting crazy after a fairly recent stint in rehab (one of many). That's around the time my husband and I got together so I got to experience his asshole mother the first year following his death, too, which didn't help because it was still pretty raw and I kept thinking "this petty bitch...". We're slowly but surely cutting my MIL's antics out of our holiday plans, but it seems like no matter what we do, she manages to cause me to want to explode at some point leading up to the holiday.
TG is the only holiday I hate... maybe if they come out with a TG elf I will change my tune!
You need to come up by me. My mom couldn't cook for shit but somehow she made an AWESOME TG dinner. Right before she died for some reason I asked her what she did and she told me (basically margarine and thyme) and my sister and I rock the shit out of that meal.
And your SIL sucks. There should always be all the desserts. Apple pie? Check. Pumpkin something? Check check. Brownie truffle with chocolate pudding? Check check check. And fruit, of course. Lol.
Seriously! Everyone should have multiple dessert options!
My grandma, mom and aunt owned a catering business for like 25 years, so I was used to a huge amount of food and options. I was like...this is it? Which, fine, people have their traditions, but don't be a dick about people asking to bring other stuff then! Grrr.
At least this year, we've stayed outside of the drama, and I'm guessing she won't even bring it up to us. We're going to my BIL and SIL's house because they are having another baby like 3-4w before TG and won't travel and we'd like to meet the baby. Apparently this caused her to cry on the phone with BIL (because she won't come - she has to be at HER house on TG and we're all big meanies for not going to her house for her shitty meal).
WHAT THE FUCK IS THANKSGIVING WITHOUT MASHED POTATOES? EVEN THE TOFURKEY EATERS EAT MASHED POTATOES?
Also, look, I want all the food for thanksgiving and I want a million desserts. There are never enough thanksgiving desserts. I need them all, okay? I NEED THEM ALL!
And vegetables. OMG, I hate when you go for thanksgiving and there is one fucking vegetable and it's either boiled harder than shoe leather on the eastern front circa 1942 or awash in cream of crap soup.
Once you put cream of crap all over it, IT'S NO LONGER A FUCKING VEGETABLE. GO BACK AND GET ME SOMETHING GODDAMNED GREEN. Okay maybe yellow is not a requirement. Some glazed carrots would be nice. Green beans sauteed in butter and garlic. Roasted brussels sprouts, something like that.
"Not gonna lie; I kind of keep expecting you to post one day that you threw down on someone who clearly had no idea that today was NOT THEIR DAY." ~dontcallmeshirley
WHAT THE FUCK IS THANKSGIVING WITHOUT MASHED POTATOES? EVEN THE TOFURKEY EATERS EAT MASHED POTATOES?
Also, look, I want all the food for thanksgiving and I want a million desserts. There are never enough thanksgiving desserts. I need them all, okay? I NEED THEM ALL!
And vegetables. OMG, I hate when you go for thanksgiving and there is one fucking vegetable and it's either boiled harder than shoe leather on the eastern front circa 1942 or awash in cream of crap soup.
Once you put cream of crap all over it, IT'S NO LONGER A FUCKING VEGETABLE. GO BACK AND GET ME SOMETHING GODDAMNED GREEN. Okay maybe yellow is not a requirement. Some glazed carrots would be nice. Green beans sauteed in butter and garlic. Roasted brussels sprouts, something like that.
my aunt brought twice baked potatoes to tgiving once.
Serious question. If retailers compensated their employees better, would there be less of an outcry about working that day? Like actually did holiday pay and paid decent wages to begin with?
I also don't see it going away, so in my head that would make it a bit better (H gets paid holiday pay so he always works). Or am I continuing to talk out of my ass?
When I worked retail, my pay wasn't crappy. It wasn't minimum wage, it was actually a few dollars above it. So, it's not the pay to me. It's more about folks getting ONE DAYUM DAY not to deal with ignit ass people. Just one. Because the holiday shopping rush is a mad house. It's a long day and people act like asses and are usually mean and what not. Everyone deserves a day of peace where they don't feel like they need to cuss a rude ass mofo the eff out.
It's the Principle of the Thing. One day to relax. Folks deserve just that much. That's all. At least for me that is.
Yes, for me it's the principle.
Why does every holiday we have have to be about buying shit and having the best and keeping up with the Joneses and Jacksons? Can't we just have a day, whatever day, where we just sit and reflect and not turn it into a sale opportunity.
I used to complain my ass off about holidays here and how nothing is open. Nothing, but restaurants (sometimes, in some places), gas stations, train stations and airports. No grocery stores, nothing. You have to get what you need either the day before or at the gas/train station. Yes, it's madness the day before and god forbid it falls on a Friday because stores are closed Sunday, too, but I have to admit....it's nice. You find other things to do, and ways to bond, and spend your time without buying stuff.
Could it be time already to start talking thanksgiving menu? We haven't even decided where we're going yet, but I'm gonna cook some shit regardless, so let's do it!
WHAT THE FUCK IS THANKSGIVING WITHOUT MASHED POTATOES? EVEN THE TOFURKEY EATERS EAT MASHED POTATOES?
Also, look, I want all the food for thanksgiving and I want a million desserts. There are never enough thanksgiving desserts. I need them all, okay? I NEED THEM ALL!
And vegetables. OMG, I hate when you go for thanksgiving and there is one fucking vegetable and it's either boiled harder than shoe leather on the eastern front circa 1942 or awash in cream of crap soup.
Once you put cream of crap all over it, IT'S NO LONGER A FUCKING VEGETABLE. GO BACK AND GET ME SOMETHING GODDAMNED GREEN. Okay maybe yellow is not a requirement. Some glazed carrots would be nice. Green beans sauteed in butter and garlic. Roasted brussels sprouts, something like that.
We don't do mashed potatoes. Never have. I don't know why. In fact, it's never been a "thing" for my family at any meal. We are a dressing/stuffing peoples. And sweet potato pies or souffle never pumpkin. NEVER PUMPKIN.
We always have stuffing and mashed potatoes. I never ate much stuffing growing up. I just make it for the mr.
I don't make pumpkin pie. I don't always make sweet potato but I never make pumpkin. I usually make one apple, one cake, and some kind of cobbler.