Kmart is Burdening its Employees with Ever-Increasing Black Friday Hours

[xchrom]

http://www.alternet.org/kmart-burdening-its-employees-ever-increasing-black-friday-hours



I woke up extra early on Thanksgiving morning to report on the Kmart DOORBUSTER SALE that yanked store associates away from their families on the holiday. In light of weeks of hysterical marketing surrounding the cesspool that is Black Friday, you’d expect these people to have done some market research, wouldn’t you? But at 6:00a.m. on America’s biggest annual secular holiday, there were a total of seven people in line for the misleadingly-named DOORBUSTER at Kmart on Broadway in Lower Manhattan. And we couldn’t have stampeded each other to death if we tried.

Look, I’m not lamenting the lack of crowds and violence. I much prefer desolate civility. But I do think it’s worth noting the utter pointlessness of forcing employees to forego their holiday to open a slumping retail giant before sunrise for the benefit of fewer customers than I’ve ever seen inside of a Kmart. Kmart was one of several national chains that decided to kick off their histrionic holiday sales this year on Thanksgiving Day rather than Black Friday. Think Progress reported two weeks ago that locations across the country were threatening their associates with termination if they refused to work on Thanksgiving Day. (An employee at the Lower Manhattan location confirmed to me that all employees were indeed required to work the holiday.)

Sure, some employees were presumably glad to pick up extra hours billed at time-and-a-half holiday pay, but others weren’t - and for working parents whose kids were out of school, even time-and-a-half is likely to be offset by childcare costs. ( The New York Times reports that Kmart employees earned $12 per hour, instead of their typical $8.) And based on the thin crowds, they were coerced into this for no reason. It wasn’t just Manhattan either - across the country, Kmarts flipped on the fluorescent lights while it was still dark outside to pump “Here Comes Santa Claus” and hock “buy-one-get-one” fleece pajama sets to fucking no one.

Kmart wasn’t the only retail chain whose performance fell short of expectations. A combination of slumping sales-per-store, politicization, extended-hour fatigue and split markets appear to have had an impact on national retail’s bottom line. Much publicized workers’ strikes and labor protests at 1600 Walmart stores certainly changed the tone of Black Friday shopping, although it is unknown whether vows to boycott the store and others resulted in a significant change in shopper numbers from 2013. Furthermore, since Black Friday deals now last several days longer than Black Friday itself, the relative uniqueness of Black Friday as a selling point is called into question.

[RiverLover]

1. But, but, they're just RETAIL, what do you expect

from something we all depend on?

[pipoman]

2. Kmart is a shithole owned by Sears, another shithole...

Who buys Christmas presents at Kmart?

[xmas74]

6. People who can only afford places like Kmart, that's who.

I'm not defending what they did on Thanksgiving. There was no reason for it. But when you asked who buys Christmas at Kmart it's quite a few people.

They have layaway year round, which for some is the only way they can afford to buy something-in installments.

Places like Kmart and Walmart might be the only place in the area for someone to buy their kids the toys they want.

Who buys Christmas from places like Kmart? My parents did. If it wasn't for discount stores like that there would have been no presents on Christmas morning under the tree. Hell, if it wasn't for layaway there would have been no new outfit to start school every year.

[pipoman]

7. Have you been in one lately?

I have fond memories of Kmart of 40 years ago, I was in one a few weeks ago and it was a complete dump. Don't know why anyone would shop there with Walmart, and Target in most of the same towns. .hell Dollar Genital is better. ..

[xmas74]

8. Actually, yes, I was in one over the summer.

Some are better than others.

I didn't have much money over the summer (my hours were cut at work) so my daughter picked out a couple of outfits and we put them on layaway at Kmart. Kmart still offers year-round layaway, compared to the others, and it really helped.

[tabbycat31]

10. I bought my nieces presents at Kmart

For one thing, they have adorable infant and toddler clothes, and they had a lot that fit my expectations (aka had cats on them).

[ileus]

3. Soon K-turd will not burden anyone.

How many more months/years can that dump actually stay in business? Our local Sears just closed a few weeks ago, I don't see this store staying open much longer, and can't imagine K-mart as a company staying in the black. (If they're in the black now...or still in bankruptcy I don't know)

Then all those over worked employees can get jobs that won't give them more than 20 hours a week.

[Octafish]

4. What jobs?

Who's hiring?

[ileus]

5. While K-mart isn't known for great careers

unless you're in upper management (those people will finds good jobs)

There's all sorts of wonderful jobs out there for the stocking folks and clerks....at Taco Bell.

You didn't think I would claim they'd find good jobs did you?

Hell in our area the Wendy's and Arby's just down the street (from kmart) have both closed this year. So I may be wrong about them even finding a fast food job...

[Initech]

9. No wonder most of the K-Marts have gone bankrupt in California.

Fuck them.