As it turns from summer to fall, I’m realizing that the clothing I had to purchase won’t be useful in a week or so. Because it is mandatory that A&F workers wear in-season clothing, I’ll need to add to my wardrobe yet again and cut my next two paychecks in half.
When I tell people I work at Abercrombie, they get excited and always ask me if I receive a discount. Yes, I get a discount – 50% off of in-season clothing and 30% off everything else. Though this is a nice benefit of the job, for an employee like me who lives paycheck to paycheck, purchasing clothing every season becomes a hefty expense, especially when I need multiple outfits because I work full-time. Because many people who work at Abercrombie are young women seeking after-school jobs, complaints about such a discount are rare. But here’s the thing - a discount is nothing more than an allusion that makes me feel like I’m saving money when I’m still spending it.
Many take on retail jobs for the discount but I see this discount as a trap that keeps me in a job working full days. It is yet another problematic factor of this job to worry about because with the notion that I will save money, comes the sense of it being okay to purchase MORE than necessary. I feel as if this discount is a vehicle in which A&F utilizes to take advantage of me not only as an employee, but also as a customer. I remember during training, someone in upper management instructed us that only one person can work the cash register at a time in order to create longer lines. In doing so, shoppers will be urged to browse more and therefore, buy more. As a customer by force, the feeling of being controlled is not a pleasant one. This discount, coupled with the mandatory employee dress code, creates a never-ending circle of spending that keeps me more destitute than necessary. I could be saving up this money I spend on garments for online schooling to further my education. However, I’m trying to be grateful because at least I have a job.
