Whether you’re a manager or just have to deal with them, these retail memes will get you through your day!
1. When you just want to go home
You’ve been clock-watching since the start of a 12-hour shift. You finally serve the last customer of the day. Freedom is finally at hand.
That is until Kevin, your 17-year-old manager, sees you trying to leave…
2. That boss who makes a point of saying “good morning” to everyone
You know the type. They stroll in at 8 am followed by their entourage of ass-kissing day managers. They walk around pointing out all the little things that the night shift couldn’t finish due to being overworked and understaffed.
But it’s OK because they still take the time to say hello to everyone…
3. The “do as I say, not as I do” retail manager
This Manager is too busy sucking up to the customers and dealing with the easier jobs in the store to realise that they constantly contradict themselves.
4. Your boss never sees when you are doing well
You know what I’m talking about. You just single-handedly defeated your 8th Karen of the day, and despite being busier than ever with customers, you’re actually enjoying yourself.
Unfortunately, this is the day your boss decided to take off to buy another three houses.
5. Early finish? Don’t think so, mate
The store is over budget, and there is no customer in sight. So even though you know you’ll regret it on payday, you ask if you can go home early.
Unfortunately, your boss has other ideas, and you spend the next few hours cleaning shelves, clearing returns and tidying the stock room.
6. The reluctant retail boss
The idea of confronting underperforming staff members is too much for this boss to bear, so he puts more pressure on the staff who are performing well instead.
There are overworked retail workers in every store, thanks to weak leaders like this.
7. The retail boss who never arrives
Retail workers have all been there when their boss tells them to start the work or the meeting but never actually turns up to help. This meme manages to describe this more annoying element of retail life perfectly.
8. When you can’t get a new job because your salary traps you
You may not realize it, but some managers get paid a small fortune for their retail job.
And while the money can be great, it does eventually get to the point where they can’t quit and start a new career because they will have to take a massive pay cut.
9. When you take small talk with your boss a bit too literally
Let’s face it, most of us hate being in the store and dealing with customers at the best of times, so when you spot an opportunity to escape, you’re going to take it.
10. If you want hard workers, you’ve got to work hard to find them
Getting a bunch of people together and asking them to pretend to sell soap powder to an imaginary customer is not a good way to test if someone can hack working 12 hours in the cold.
Retail workers must be shown the reality of working in our stores, listening to none stop Christmas music and dealing with snarky co-workers while still providing great customer service before being hired.
11. Being the boss does have its perks
Of all customer-related retail memes, this is probably one of the most famous. When Karen is taking a stand and demanding to speak to the person in charge, and you just happen to be that person. It’s honestly the most satisfying feeling ever.
12. Chances are if I’m staying late, I probably didn’t realise it
Few things will make me linger around in the store longer than I have to. So if I’m still there, I’m probably waiting around for the cashiers to arrive so I can start shopping for my own groceries as a customer. Or I may have just been sitting here looking at retail memes. In any case, I’m going home now.
13. If only retail employees were free to be this honest
This may come as a shock, but we don’t get retail jobs because we want to make friends, give up our weekends or read price tags to customers. We’re there to earn money and then go home to our family. It’s that simple.
14. Say goodbye to your spine if you want to be a leader in retail
A sure sign of working in retail is back pain, usually caused by standing at a register for hours on end serving your millionth customer of the day.
15. Because you just love having to hear someone tell you how to do your job
It doesn’t matter how busy and efficient you think you are. Your retail boss will still find a way to micro-manage every last task.
16. Don’t ever tell your boss how long a job will take
It starts as a casual conversation about how you’re getting on with your work. Little do you know that your rough estimate has been sold as a deadline. And don’t even think about having a lunch break until its all done.
17. There are no original ideas in retail
You’re supposed to be free to share your ideas and opinions in the workplace. And if your ideas lead to success for the business, you should get full credit. Not in retail, though!
18. Worked hard to finish your work? Here is some more work to say thanks.
In most jobs, if you work hard and finish your work, you get to chill for the rest of the day. But the truth about working in retail is that you’ll never be rewarded for being the first person to finish.
19. Do as I say, not as I do
The chances are that your boss doesn’t really know what it takes to do your job, and their instructions will usually be wrong. They just like to exercise control over your life whenever they can.
20. Working with a friend helps to dull the pain of working in retail
When you’re dealing with customers, working for hours on end at the cash register and having to listen to Christmas music on repeat, it can become a bit much. So having a friend to hand to speak to can make a world of difference.
