Nowhere To Run From Christmas Music

So yesterday was pretty much Retail Hell on earth for everyone. Though I have not been in retail for awhile now, I was at two stores all day yesterday signing books. Yes, it was better to be talking about it, instead of living it, but I was reminded of my hellish days as I was forced to listen to 8 hours of fucking Christmas music.

My bleeding ears go out to all of you who have a month ahead of this audio torture. There were some days and some songs from my Holiday Hell past, where I wanted to staple my ears shut

So I wake up this morning wanting a bagel and I head across the street to Factors an old Jewish deli restaurant. Not a Christmas tree or ornament inside. No Christmas shit here.

Except....

Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas was playing over the loud speaker.

At a full-on Jewish restaurant and deli.

WTF?!!!!

It was followed my some lame song repeating the phrase "Celebrate Christmas" over and over! 

I suppose the Christmas music won't last long there. It may have been turned off by the time I write this even.

Is nowhere safe from Christmas music?

Last year, down the street from where I live near Beverly Hills - they had speakers in the sidewalk trees blasting it all over the streets.

Christmas music inside. Christmas music outside.

I wanted to get a gun and start shooting speakers.

Comments

[Retail Drone #37]

It's not very considerate to ignore all of the other holidays during December. However, there really isn't much music that celebrates Hanukkah or Kwanzaa. unless the audience you are catering to is largely one ethnic background or another, most people still consider Christmas as the most popular holiday.

Just like clock work Wegmans started playing their Christmas music yesterday, but actually had their decorations up for a month before. I'm all for enjoying the holiday season; I just wish it wouldn't happen so soon. I like a buffer between two big meals.

[Spritzy]

Oh! Oh! Get this! I overheard our store manager today talking about working on condensing the Chirstmas/Seasonal Dept because we're supposed to start getting in gardening supplies soon! It's two freakin days after T-giving! It's nearly a month from Christmas! It's not even technically winter yet! And we're supposed to start getting garden stuff...it really is counter-productive to have things out so early. We had swimsuits out in stores in February (in the freezing northern midwest) last year but no one bought any untill like June...when they we're already set for 25%off clearance. If they'd put them out at a time people would be looking for such a thing, like say April or May, then we woulda sold more at full price.

[Joe]

Roger THAT!
If I hear "Ba-rumpa-pum-pum" just ONE more time...!

("This Just In: Local Man Goes Berserk In Shopping Mall. Details at 11:00.")

[Anna]

I'm curious to know...what are everyone's most hated Christmas songs?

Mine are (in no specific order):

"Rudolf the Red-Nose Reindeer".

"I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus".

Any pop Christmas songs (except Lennon's "Happy Christmas" which I like) / pop versions of Christmas songs (almost worse).

And finally, well, any serious/religious Christmas song such as Silent Night (which I wouldn't normally oppose to) just turns completely banal when played at a brightly lit shopping hell. In November.

[Magical Shrimp]

Thanksgiving is in October up here. I've been hearing that same set of 10 or so songs over and over since the beginning of November.

Why in the hell is there a recording of "Santa Baby" sung by a man?? Oh wait...

[Pharmacy_psycho]

Over 20 years ago I used to work at a mart-store for more than 2 years. I actually didn't mind the job so much as I worked in the hardware/lumber department and actually knew my stock and most customers were surprisingly receptive to me.

The one thing I actually couldn't tolerate was the music. It drove me stark-staring insane! They say we got a new tape (reel-to-reel if you can believe it!) every month, but it sounded like the same shit to me except every Christmas. I swear THAT was the same one from last year. To this day, I never listen to the radio in the house or in my car unless I'm absolutely falling asleep on a long drive. I get books on tape instead. I just can't stand the sound of incessant music. It gives me migraines.

Even now, when I do my own shopping, I don't dawdle. I go in, get what I need, and get the hell out. They say music creates a better shopping atmosphere, but for me it just grates on my nerves like a child whining, "mommy! mommy! mommy!" and I just want to scream.

[Chris from Chicago]

It's not the songs. It's the salvation army community service bell ringers.... Who NEVER. STOP. RINGING. THEM.

And they use our break room... And use our bathrooms like it's a family fun park for feces...

[Logan]

Any music, not just Christmas, does not create a better shopping experience. It's distracting, keeps me from being able to compare prices, read labels, etc. and causes me to rush through shopping, forgetting many of the items I still need and skipping all the impulse buys that the managers want us to buy.

With everyone having different tastes in music it actually alienates 80% of your potential customer base.

Any store I find that doesn't blast their music at me gets all my business. But since most stores and restaurants seem to think that they are a nightclub (without the liquor license and dance floor) I do most of my shopping online.

I used to be a retail slave, but now I am self-employed from home. After a while the walls start closing in and I need to get out of the house for awhile, so I take my paperwork with me to restaurants. The way some of them have the music blasting, you can't even think (or hear what anyone else with you is saying, or relax and enjoy your meal)

I go to stores to shop, restaurants to eat and I go to the clubs to listen to music. If a store wants to be a nightclub instead, get rid of all that stock, get your liquor license and put in a dance floor. Otherwise let me shop in peace.

[RaleighRob]

i don't mind it now that it's after Thanksgiving. it's those places playing it the day after halloween i wanna go crazy over.