Retail worker shares frustration after shoppers leave unwanted items all over the store floor

Retail work is often perceived as an entry-level job, but it does present a set of challenges that can take a toll on people. For retail workers, the holiday season is particularly challenging due to the influx of eager shoppers, extended store hours, and the added pressure when it comes to meeting sales targets. During this time, it can really help them if customers become more mindful about their shopping habits and are considerate about how they behave when purchasing things. However, the reality is far from that. A person known as u/HappyGunner on Reddit took to the platform to talk about the added challenges they face due to certain people. 

"People scan items for price, decide they don't want it, and then just leave it on the f***ing floor. Were these people raised in barns? Who the h*ll thinks this is acceptable?!" The person captioned a series of photos that showed how people simply leave the items they don't want to buy on the floor near the self-checkout counter. 

Many took to the comment section to talk about the unacceptable behavior on the customer's part. "This happens all the time. And sometimes it's malicious. At the store I worked at, there was a really rank smell in the men's department. We searched all over for the source and found a package of rotting meat shoved in the back of some shelves under the neatly folded jeans," wrote u/Amelaclya1. "Not only are you expected to clean it up but you are expected to smile while doing it," added u/Foreign_Caramel_9840.

Another person blamed the lack of scanners in the store. "I would blame it on a lack of scanners, but this is a Target and not a Walmart. Target has plenty of close scanners all over, which is great. Walmart MIGHT have one working scanner on the other side of the store," u/RamenJunkie opined. "What’s going on with Target lately? Are all the shoppers entitled j*rks all of a sudden? Are they majorly short-staffed? I pretty well avoid going there anymore because every time it’s just trashed. Feel like Kmart is in its final days, just a little bit more stock. Maybe just the ones near me," expressed u/Attom_S. 

The retail industry is often one of the most overworked and underpaid sectors in the US. More often than not, it's the retail workers themselves who try and help their colleagues. For instance, in another Reddit post by u/bilbofraginz, a worker was seen helping a colleague rebuild their confidence. The Reddit post featured a screenshot describing a new man who had recently joined a retail team. "I had a new guy working for me once in retail who fell asleep during his shifts. I had coworkers and customers both tell me they thought he was on drugs because he would nod off right in the middle of something," the worker wrote.

Rather than jumping to conclusions, the coworker decided to talk to him directly. "When I talked to him about it, it turned out he was homeless and he had been living in his car and being harassed by cops for sleeping in it," the post revealed. To avoid being caught, the colleague had to move to a new spot every 2-3 hours, leaving him unable to get proper rest. "So every night, he would sleep an hour or two and get up and drive to a new spot, sleep another hour or two, and get up and move again," the worker explained. Moved by his story, she then decided to help him. She made efforts to adjust his schedule to later hours and even with office staff to let him park in the company’s private lot, providing him a safer place to rest.