Castanet

Had to run into a dollar store in my neighbourhood this morning. There was one staff member working and she was busy in the back. She didn't seem to hear me come in and if I weren't an honest person it would have been very easy to walk out with a lot of items. Anyway, I got my stuff, rang the bell and she came to the front. I asked her if she was the only staff member on. She said yes, and that today was their delivery day and she had to unpack three delivery skids and bring everything into the store. When I drove out, I looked to see how large the delivery was. The skids looked like they were piled with boxes and were well over 5' high.

The poor girl looked like she was about 17, not super strong and was very flushed and sweaty...It became clear why this store is always looking for employees.

You want your stuff for $1, yet you have a problem with how the store manages its overheads. See the connection between your actions and the number of employees yet?

coffeeFreak wrote:Had to run into a dollar store in my neighbourhood this morning. There was one staff member working and she was busy in the back. She didn't seem to hear me come in and if I weren't an honest person it would have been very easy to walk out with a lot of items. Anyway, I got my stuff, rang the bell and she came to the front. I asked her if she was the only staff member on. She said yes, and that today was their delivery day and she had to unpack three delivery skids and bring everything into the store. When I drove out, I looked to see how large the delivery was. The skids looked like they were piled with boxes and were well over 5' high.

The poor girl looked like she was about 17, not super strong and was very flushed and sweaty...It became clear why this store is always looking for employees.

Welcome to modern day legal slavery. I agree with Rwede on this one as well.

Rwede wrote:You want your stuff for $1, yet you have a problem with how the store manages its overheads. See the connection between your actions and the number of employees yet?

Any $1 store Ive ever been in has always had more then one person on shift.

Rwede wrote:You want your stuff for $1, yet you have a problem with how the store manages its overheads. See the connection between your actions and the number of employees yet?

Um, no. The OP didn't say he/she wanted his/her stuff for $1. The poster merely objected to how this employee was being treated and made the reasonable suggestion that this might be one of the reasons for high turnover.

Rwede wrote:You want your stuff for $1, yet you have a problem with how the store manages its overheads. See the connection between your actions and the number of employees yet?

The owner is sure not suffering they make good money the less staff equals more money into their pocket thats what its about cheap owners who expect the staff to do everything.

crookedmember wrote:
Um, no. The OP didn't say he/she wanted his/her stuff for $1.

Then why go to the "dollar" store?

The owner is sure not suffering they make good money the less staff equals more money into their pocket thats what its about cheap owners who expect the staff to do everything.

OR - they don't make good money, and the owner can only afford one staff member.

Selling cheap Chinese goods to cheap people is probably not a very profitable enterprise.

Dollar store is not the dollar store anymore. Its $1.25 and up. 90% imports from China. Good for the Canadian economy?

The corners of my eyes start burning when I go into these dollar stores. The cheap quality of plastics in these stores allows fumes to leave the products. The air in these stores is poison.

Hey nothing wrong with that. I worked for minimum wage (MUCH lower than it is now) at a dollar store through my entire time at university and nearly was able to survive on that wage while still going to school full time.

You wouldn't think it would be a great job, but I loved it. I worked lots of hours, made decent money (even on min wage). All my co-workers were young university students who were fun to be with. AND I learned to add in multiples of $1.13

Sure those shipments look big, but lets be honest, they aren't all glassware, aquarium rocks and picture frames.
Most of those huge boxes are paper-plate products (it is summertime afterall), gift bags, plastic toys, wrapping paper, party supplies, etc. And believe me, they are packed with enough styrofoam and popping packing materials to make it across from China in good condition.

Mornings at a Dollar Store when a shipment comes in entail one staff opening up, the shipment comes in, and then generally around 11 another staff will come in to assist for the lunch rush, and then one more staff later around 3 to pick away at doing the inventory from the morning's shipment, pricing, stacking and storing excess product.

I don't feel bad for that sweaty girl. She's working hard. And at that age she should be! I sure did.

Slave made goods, sold by slaves.

Look around and realize these stores are the only ones that survive.

Specialty stores open and close on a yearly cycle. Vacant commercial leases - and dollar stores.

bob vernon wrote:The corners of my eyes start burning when I go into these dollar stores. The cheap quality of plastics in these stores allows fumes to leave the products. The air in these stores is poison.

Yet there you are supporting that business model despite bad-mouthing it and its products on here. People are funny when it comes to saving a couple of bucks.