By David Bozeman
After being laid off at 50, I chose retail as my career reinvention. I never dreamed that Bed Bath & Beyond would lay me off at 60. As I seek a new, part-time position (to supplement my night job), I mourn not only what I have lost, but I lament what the future holds, not just for job seekers but for shoppers, as well.
Anyone can relate to the empty shelves and the deafening echoes of quiet in a once-thriving store. The tearful goodbyes become bearable (bearable - but not forgotten), and we can all recite the pick-me-up cliches with which friends and family console us: when one door closes. . . yada, yada, yada.
Marketing 10 years of loyal service poses some challenges. BBB will be forever famous for its paper coupons, but I remember BBB as the last time I enjoyed the ease and simplicity of filling out a paper job application! Today, can I be sure if a human being will even be aware of my sweat, service, near-perfect attendance, and potential - or will a computer program discard my lack of 'proper keywords' into a cyber trash bin?
I wonder if I'm too old to be hired, anyway. At 60, probably not. Great opportunity awaits, even if you don't feel as limitless and shiny as the perky 20-year-olds preparing to run the world. But feeling apprehensive in the face of change and shifting economic winds does not make one weak. It means you're human.
Furthermore, we can't help but ponder what shopping will look like in the coming years. Retail isn't going away, not in my lifetime, but it will not likely hold the same joy I remember in the 70s, 80s and 90s. Commercial landscapes are now populated by a few super-centers and endless rows of vape shops, nail salons and convenience stores.
My idea of urban blight would be any stretch of commercial space without a used bookstore. Sadly, technology has rendered most bookstores obsolete. Amazon warehouses dominate industrial zones. Anything consumers want is only a click away, leaving any competition in the dust.
I can't be the only one sad knowing that generations of children will never visit a Toys-R-Us - or any toy store. I can't be the only one who measures the joy of (some) shopping by the thrill of the hunt, not just the efficient acquisition of merchandise.
Our shopping mall used to offer a movie theater, two (!) bookstores, a pharmacy, a toy store, a record store, a fine tobacco shop, etc. - all in a carnival-like, Saturday night atmosphere. Today, shoppers will find a string of trendy, high-end clothing stores for Gen-Xers - and little else - yawwwn. . .
But until I find a morning job, I am less a consumer and more a job-seeker - not as easy a task as some think. Nor is it as hard as our self-doubts make us believe. The Bed Bath & Beyonds of the world rise and fall, but your determination and passion need never falter (another pick-me-up cliche? yep- but this one is true!). Retail is a microcosm of life: constant change, steady streams of new faces, conflicting personalities, financial/economic pressures, decorating for the holidays, etc. It's a roller coaster, and until I win the lottery, I want another ride!
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Follow my journey. Let me inspire your's. Feel free to comment.
davidbozeman63@gmail.com
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