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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Akron chapter.

Hi guys and Happy Thanksgiving! I know the big event of the season is, as always, BLACK FRIDAY SHOPPING. Here are some definite Dos and Don’ts from a retail worker for every shopper on this Black Friday!

Do: Be nice to the workers

This is the most important thing when it comes to Black Friday Shopping. I have worked cray hours for Black Friday almost five years now and nothing is worse than having to leave your family dinner on Thanksgiving in order to take on crowds of hundreds of tired and hyped up shoppers. Most retail workers have had to leave family functions early or have to go to bed early in order to wake up at 2 am for their shift. The difference between shoppers and workers is that shoppers want to go out and do this; the workers most likely don’t. Be mindful of this, don’t be rude or angry at the workers. They have no control over the lines, the deals, the items, or even their hours.

Don’t: ask workers to ‘check the back’ after they’ve told you an item is sold out

This is the most annoying thing for retail workers during the holiday season. We want shoppers to buy everything we have. TRUST ME. So if a worker tells you that we have no more of something in that size or color, don’t force them back in the stock room to look. Believe us. It is way too busy and hectic in that store and stock room for workers to go back and forth. We need the workers on the floor, not in the stock room. So if they say that they are out of something. Believe them. They wouldn’t lie to you about that.

Do: Go online or in store before Black Friday so you know what you’re looking for

This seems like cheating, I know, but nothing is worse than waiting in line for hours and not even finding anything you want. It is so important to go in ahead of time or look online and see what the store has stocked so that you don’t end up wasting your’s or the workers’ time.

Don’t: Go to the store before Black Friday to hide the things you want

Yeah, don’t do this because we retail workers have to rearrange EVERYTHING in the store; therefore, your stuff won’t be there anymore anyway. Not only is it a waste for you, but it is also more work for us. If you come in and move things around so that you can buy it on Black Friday, I promise you that no matter what store it is, you will not find it there again. 

DO: Have fun!

All of this can be really stressful, but just remember to have fun. It is a really fun experience to work and shop during Black Friday, so enjoy it.

I am a middle child of a single mom from Pittsburgh, PA. I am currently studying English as a major and Philosophy as a minor at the University of Akron. I love reading, writing, hiking, camping, doing community service, and hanging out with friends and family. I have a spunky kitty names Charlie who runs my life!
Madeline Myers is a 2020 graduate of the University of Akron. She has a B.A. English with a minor in Creative Writing. At Her Campus, Madeline enjoys writing movie and TV reviews. Her personal essay “Living Room Saloon” is published in the 2019 issue of The Ashbelt. Madeline grew up in Zanesville, Ohio. She loves quoting comedians, reading James Baldwin, and sipping on grape soda. She fears a future run by robots but looks forward to the day when her stories are read by those outside of her immediate family.