9mm4me's thread about going from retail to nursing got me wondering, who else here is stuck in the hell called retail?.  During summer my primary work is lifeguarding and bartending, but during the winter I'm stuck doing lousy retail work with shitty pay and not much room for moving up in the ranks.  Anyone one else stuck in this shitty position?

im close, im stuck in the hell known as manufacturing.

I was recently working weekends in retail (motorcycle accessories) for some extra money and for the discount. A half a day of overtime at the full-time job would pay me what I made working Saturday and Sunday. Needless to say, I don't work weekends anymore.

Cabelas retail, not bad considering the discount I get

Quoted: im close, im stuck in the hell known as manufacturing.

I actually heard that was considered pretty good work in the southern MI area

Quoted: Quoted: im close, im stuck in the hell known as manufacturing.

I actually heard that was considered pretty good work in the southern MI area

Just ranting a bit. ya know the saying " if it was fun to do it wouldnt be called a job"

But Thanks to nafta and the spike in steel prices plenty of shops are either going south or going belly up in michigan.

I have worked retail and honestly don't know how people do it.  It has to be one of the worst jobs I've ever done and I've had a few.

[clerks]I'd get rid of the people in the video store....

Which ones?

All of them.[/clerks]


I have worked retail basically since I have been working.  I actually like it, except that the hours preclude me from ever taking a Saturday off.  But I made over $200 towards my noban AR yesterday!

The Men's Wearhouse

Retail automobile industry

Hours suck, customers suck, bosses suck but the pay can be INSANE.

When you walk into a Friday morning meeting, pick up a pair of dice, and walk away with $3000(happend to me one time about 4 months ago)  it makes it hard to take a 9 to 5 job.  

All your "workin man" jobs went to CHINA.
Get into a trade or get a degree.

Someday i'll listen to my own advice.

Yes...

In an Auto parts store. 2 years and 3 promotions later, it got worse and worse. Dealing with rude customers while belying my hatred for humanity was a difficult thing to do. I had a guy call me an asshole once, because I explained to him our pricing policy, which he didn't agree with. Most times people would speak to us with disrespectful manner, which I extremely detest. And I had the "easy" experience. Most guys I work with have had death threats, merchandise thrown at them, and spit on. Even had a crazy guy tell off the young lady working the resgister and say he was going to come back to the store and shoot everyone dead. Just because we couldn't price match a quart of oil with Walmarts price. I wasnt working that day (lucky for Mr. Psyco). But the guys and a girl who were on duty that day called the cops. Cops caught the guy, he was charged with making terrorist threats.

The day I quit that job was the best feeling in my life.

I would never voluntarily work another retail job ever again.

Quoted: 9mm4me's thread about going from retail to nursing got me wondering, who else here is stuck in the hell called retail?.  During summer my primary work is lifeguarding and bartending, but during the winter I'm stuck doing lousy retail work with shitty pay and not much room for moving up in the ranks.  Anyone one else stuck in this shitty position?

Yep, 7 years and counting.  It sucks, and it makes you hate people more and more on a daily basis.  The only good thing is I have a great crew to work with, they are all good people.

Did it for five years.

It SUCKED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I hope I never do it again.

I like having weekends off.

Been in retail jewelry for 7 yrs. The money isn't terrible, the lowest I ever made in a year was 30k and the highest was 42k and I usually make about 35k a year. Not good money by any means, but better than most retail I think except for retail MGR's. MGR's make good money, but they work 60+ hrs a week, are hated by all ppl that work for them, and no matter how much they make they are always still in retail.

Been there, done that for 14 years and will NEVER do that again........................   Find something you enjoy doing(for me it was golf)and figure a way to be employed in that field and everyting else will take care of itself................

Getting out of retail is why I joined the AF!  If you are healthy, and 27 or under, do not pass go. Go straight to your local AF recruiter! You wont regret it.

I worked in retail for ten long years (started when I was 15 in supermarkets), and it sucked!
It is a dead end job. If you are maangement, they will work you like a dog!

Now, I have my batchelor's degree, a 2 year CCAF degree, and the AF is paying for my Master's.
I have never had so many opportunities in my life.

I have spent 15 years in retail hell.  Started working for the company in high school, through college, and now my career.  I've spent about half of that time in management.  Most of my time was spent in supervisor or assistant manager positions which for the most part paid a good hourly wage and were strictly held to 40 hrs. a week.  In the past year I was finally made a salaried manager with responsibilities of about $15 million in annual sales.  I work about 60-65 hours a week, most every weekend, and of course all holidays.  

The pay is not bad.  Within 18 months of graduation I more than doubled my yearly income.  The work is tough and the majority of my employees are pretty crappy.  It goes without saying that dealing with angry customers sux, but I have too many eggs in this basket to just walk away.  

I do have a plan.  I will work out my last 5 years because my company will allow me to retire with 20 years of service time.  I will only be 38 when that happens.  I hope that I can retire from this company and start work for another company (not retail) and have a second career.  So far my plans are running along on schedule and I have allowed some wiggle room just in case something unexpected happens.

I agree retail sux ass.  Serious ass.  But hang in there and smile.........just have an escape plan.



-REAPER2502

I'm in retail. Golf repair/equipment. I work for a small business owner. He has about 12 employees and pays us really well. We just opened our third store. I'm not the fondest of my job, but it pays the bills. I work about 50hours a week and have Sundays/Tuesdays off.  Tuesday is my shooting day.  I used to be a golf professional, but my buddy is one of the co-owners and he asked me to come work for him. So I did.....the pay was better.  I just hate dealing with the general public sometimes.  Some of them are such morons.  I often wonder how we made it this far into civilization.

stay in school if you are in it!  I worked retail as the gun/ammo/hunting/fishing buyer at the local sporting goods store.  I worked there for 8 years while in H.S. and college.  I started at $4.25 and quit at ~$8.50.  I now make $20.18/hr and with OT $30.27/hr.  My last check was my best so far bringing home a little over $2200 for 2 weeks.  I have only been at this job for 11 months and I should ~$60000 this year.  Co-workers that have been here for 6-15 years  all made at least $74000 last year with one making $94000 the year before.  Like Bitchkill says get a degree and have some patience and you will do better!  School sucks, but it helps.  I have a 2 year degree in Environment Science and I work in the QC Lab at a chemical plant.  Whatever degree you get dont mean that you will get a job in that field.  It just puts you above others trying to get the same job you are!  Good luck!

I have a hobby job while I get my own biz off the ground

It is working in a store called sport chalet.  I love my job!

We dont sell guns tho.

BUT,  I get free snowboarding at the local resorts, free rentals of scuba, snow stuff, camping, wakeboarding.  I get pro-deals which is basically mfg cost or below.. I have had 30-40% below wholesale prices before on a few of my pro deals.  Along with pro-deals there are things we do called clinics.. where the vendors for each company put on a little class or show of their stuff for us.  It usually includes free or cheap products from them.  I have recieved 2 hydration packs for free that cost 60 and 70 on the shelf.  I got paid to sit on the sun deck of a local ski resort and listen to a rep about products for 3 hrs.  I got paid to go play with backpacking camping gear for 8 hrs from every major mfg.  I LOVE IT.

I work in the Camping, Hiking, fishing, rock climbing dept and LOVE IT.  My co-workers are great and know their stuff, as well as do their job.   I think one reason is the guy that hired the current group only chose to hire Eagle Scouts, and knew what he was getting.

I have not been more active in as many sports as I am now.

did retail for the past 5 years at a sports store in the (where else) gun section. quit when the wife found a full time job (pastry chef) in new york. that lasted for 5 months. this friday the chef came in, started to throw peaches at my wife and yelling how she sucked. then started to throw pots and pans at her. they all missed thank goodness. it was at that point my wife picked up her knife and said, don't even think about it!!!! he then yelled your fired and get the f*** out of my kitchen. fine.

after all of that i said, working in restuarants really sucks. you HAVE to find another field of work. tomorrow after unemployment it is off to the local college to see about becomming a reading teacher.

should be interesting since Lori also is fluent in spanish. looks like i'll be back part time again somewhere. i was so tired of the rude know nothing jerks for customers. that will last till she is done.

be well
maxwell

Retail (Safeway Grocery, Bakery Department.) clerk....since july before last. 4 more months of having a gang member for my boss, then I go to BCT. (Shake the dust of CA from my boots for good.)

WOOHOO!

John

Yep I sell boats.

In the early 1990's I worked at an auto parts place, we sold parts, tires and serviced cars. Before, I had been in the military, going to college and had worked other jobs. Dealing with the public is tough, it took me a while to get used to it. I worked there a couple of years and went to something else.