Stores Returning to Regular Hours

[cjd]

Went to Ross tonight (fitting rooms still closed, the entire back area is blocked with shelving and rolling carts, with a sign to see an associate if needing to use the restroom). Clothing levels still looked good, but home and general merchandise is still very thin.

Since early this year there has been a security guard stationed at the entrance. Tonight just as I was getting ready to leave, a woman in the checkout line got all angry about something and was cussing out the poor cashier for several minutes (F-, etc). The security guard finally walked over after it had been going on for a while, and two ladies that left in front of me remarked to each other that the guard should have come over immediately. It really was ridiculous. She left her cart right in front of the door. I just shoved it aside and walked out.

[Alpha8472]

I used to work at Ross many years ago. It was by far the worst place to work at. The customers were absolutely the worst and most vicious that I have ever seen in my entire life. They would complain about everything and demand the unreasonable.

I have experienced mentally unstable people poop in the fitting rooms. There are usually some absolutely messy people who would trash the store and throw the contents of the racks onto the floor and walk away. These are usually the most entitled rich ladies who could not be bothered to put the clothes back on a hangar. I will not even get into the horrible managers that would show no sympathy for employees and blame employees for everything. If a customer demanded a manager to solve a dispute I have seen the manager just walk away instead of dealing with the customer. The people who work at Ross rarely last more than a couple of months. Everyone wants to quit and get out of there.

The problem was that most of the time we would go out of our way to be nice, but some people would put price tags from other items onto the merchandise to scam the store. The amount of theft and fraud was out of control. The security guards are more than useless. Often the guards are employed by an outside company and do nothing. They could be on break or wandering around. In most cases, they can stand there and do nothing or even walk away and abandon the store.

There is really nothing you can do as they are not employed by Ross. The quality of the security guards is as low as it can get. Ross is a frugal company and only hires the cheapest security.

Ross was once so popular. The lines were out of control and there was no shortage of customers. Stores were open until 11 PM at night and business was booming. Now, the fitting rooms are closed, and you are lucky if the store has any amount of customers at night. The employees want to block the bathrooms as the bathrooms are the place where people steal the mechanise. They either put layers of clothes on themselves or hide items under their clothes.

[Alpha8472]

I visited a Rasputin Music store in Pleasant Hill, California today. It was the most strange experience ever. This is a small chain of used cd and dvd/ blu ray stores. They are returning to more regular hours, but they are still closed on a couple days during the week.

You had to be screened before entering the store with a temperature taking camera. Then you were required to sanitize with hand sanitizer. Then you were instructed to keep your mask on and keep 6 feet away from other customers.

The used cds and movies were so dirty. Your hands turn black from all the dirty cd and dvd cases.

The prices were good, but it seemed like I was going through an airport security checkpoint. Perhaps they have shoplifting problems.

[storewanderer]

I went to a used book store in Reno today. They put a ton of tables of books out in the parking lot and had books for 99 cents. They have a small inside store as well which was open with books at a variety of price points.

What was weird was their pay policy for the 99 cent outside items. They advised you to take books directly to your car then go into the main store with a "count" to make payment. I clarified with the employee outside - so I do not bring the books inside, and she said "we would prefer that you don't bring them inside." Weird. Anyway, on their signs outside, they also provided a web link to their website to make payment or had their phone number so you could call them (while standing in their parking lot...??) to make payment.

[Super S]

I went to a used book store in Reno today. They put a ton of tables of books out in the parking lot and had books for 99 cents. They have a small inside store as well which was open with books at a variety of price points.

What was weird was their pay policy for the 99 cent outside items. They advised you to take books directly to your car then go into the main store with a "count" to make payment. I clarified with the employee outside - so I do not bring the books inside, and she said "we would prefer that you don't bring them inside." Weird. Anyway, on their signs outside, they also provided a web link to their website to make payment or had their phone number so you could call them (while standing in their parking lot...??) to make payment.

I wonder how many people forget to go inside after going to their car. Talk about opening themselves wide for shoplifting...

[TW-Upstate NY]

The only time I've had my temperature checked was when I got a haircut a little over a month ago. And all it was she waved the thermometer a few inches from my forehead and that was it. Maybe with the bookstore, they don't want to handle paper money and coins. I know when this all started, I owed my neighbor a few dollars for some homemade hand-sewn masks and she refused to take the paper money and insisted I send it to her via Pay-Pal which I did. In fairness to her, she is 80+ so in her case I totally understand. Used book stores, old CD places and the like-love places like that and just rummaging through all their stuff but no plans to do any of it for the time being.

[storewanderer]

The only time I've had my temperature checked was when I got a haircut a little over a month ago. And all it was she waved the thermometer a few inches from my forehead and that was it. Maybe with the bookstore, they don't want to handle paper money and coins. I know when this all started, I owed my neighbor a few dollars for some homemade hand-sewn masks and she refused to take the paper money and insisted I send it to her via Pay-Pal which I did. In fairness to her, she is 80+ so in her case I totally understand. Used book stores, old CD places and the like-love places like that and just rummaging through all their stuff but no plans to do any of it for the time being.

I don't recall if the book store had a no cash policy but they were definitely encouraging debit/credit based on posted signage. They were using a Square reader to process transactions and didn't want to touch your card either- had the reader outside the plastic plexiglass at the counter. There is no screen or instruction just a little 2 inch by 2 inch card reader you insert or tap into.

I used paper money recently at a small business that was trying to surcharge 3.5% for credit card transactions (ugh...) and then had to go replenish my supply and was somewhat nervous to take the money I got from an ATM. I wasn't as nervous to use the paper money that had been sitting in my wallet already for months.

[cjd]

That is weird. Here in FL where I am stuff like that would seem even stranger. In stores we still have to wear masks of course per company policy. Yesterday I went to AutoZone and on the door there was a mask required sign, and all of the customers coming in were wearing masks (some didn't put them on until inside though) but none of the employees were wearing them.

I go to garage sales, the flea market, farmers market, very few masks anymore compared to a few months ago. I think the prevailing feeling in my area is "let's move on." Not saying I agree with it or not but it's the feeling I get in numerous retail settings. People are going out to eat again, parking lots filling up, it's just amazing to me how different it still is in other states.

[klkla]

Interesting about Florida. Cases are down from their peek in July but hardly under control. It’s really not that hard to put a friggin mask on is it?

[storewanderer]

That is weird. Here in FL where I am stuff like that would seem even stranger. In stores we still have to wear masks of course per company policy. Yesterday I went to AutoZone and on the door there was a mask required sign, and all of the customers coming in were wearing masks (some didn't put them on until inside though) but none of the employees were wearing them.

I go to garage sales, the flea market, farmers market, very few masks anymore compared to a few months ago. I think the prevailing feeling in my area is "let's move on." Not saying I agree with it or not but it's the feeling I get in numerous retail settings. People are going out to eat again, parking lots filling up, it's just amazing to me how different it still is in other states.

Yes, that is the feeling I get too. "Let's move on." In my area in NV things are quite busy; the malls and movie theaters are noticeably not busy. Casinos are surprisingly busy with people from CA. I don't think it is locals. But I am surprised the employees would not be wearing masks. Obviously if a customer went in without a mask, I highly doubt the employees would enforce any mask rules. If employees in a business in my area in NV were not wearing masks, it would not take long before a customer would go in there, take pictures, make a scene, report the business to the State of Nevada OSHA, etc. and that business would be fined.

As summer fades away, schools start reopening, more and more people who were "working at home" get routed back to the office, etc., plus flu season comes, let's see what happens.