Retail Clerks -- Another Job Segment Marked for Extinction?

This morning I was sipping my morning coffee and answering emails while watching the news when a story came on that made me stop in mid-sip.  The news reporter said that J.C. Penney Co. was going to eliminate cashier stations from all its stores by 2014.  The story went on about how much more efficient the stores would be and how much money J.C. Penney’s would save, but all I could think about was how many jobs would be eliminated.

With all the middle management jobs being eliminated and whole industry segments disappearing, retail remained the bright spot in an otherwise dim job market.  During the whole news report, and my subsequent Google search of related stories, there was no mention of the human side of this change.  The executive from Penney’s was going on and on about how efficient this would make the stores and save a lot of money.  This is a desperate move on the part of Penney’s to stay alive, and I can appreciate that.  But it’s a heads up for what’s to come for retail jobs and the whole idea of work and careers as well.

Retail jobs have been plentiful with big box stores, small businesses and boutiques popping up all over.  Who doesn’t love to shop?  There’s something about going to a retail store filled with all the stuff you would love to have (and more), trying on clothes, sampling perfumes, and finding that perfect outfit or accessory.  Part of that experience is having a friendly, knowledgeable salesperson to help pull things together, answer questions and figure out all the discounts available.  What I love about Nordstrom’s is the personal service.  I don’t know what it will be like to go to a retail store like Penney’s or Dillard’s and go scan my items the same way I do at the grocery store.  Besides, if you shop at the same store a lot you can build a relationship with the sales person who will set aside items just for you, call you when they come in, and find an extra discount coupon when you’re ready to check out.  There’s no way an automatic scanner will do that.

So many people rely on part-time or seasonal retail jobs to supplement their income, especially around the holidays.  With higher-paying, middle and entry-level management jobs disappearing, retail jobs were a way to have a second job with flexible hours and a store discount as well.  The pay may not be great, but the extra 25% employee discount with a door buster store sale discount made your paycheck go a long way.  

Retail jobs are a way for students to gain valuable work experience and help pay for college expenses, gas and car insurance, or any number of living expenses.  With flexible hours and minimum requirements, there were plenty of jobs available if you want to work.  College funding sources, like Georgia’s lottery-funded Hope Scholarship program, are being cut or eliminated as states cut costs.  The loss of retail jobs will have a negative effect on the ability to afford an education and make ends meet for a large, diverse segment of the population.

The Internet has made it easy to skip the in-store shopping experience for the comfort of on-line shopping 24/7.  We are slowly eliminating the need to interact with humans in the name of progress.  Hopefully, there will be a whole host of new jobs to replace those lost, but until they can figure out how to get a digital checkout station to find and bring me the shirt I am trying on in another size and color so I don’t have to lose my dressing room, I won’t be happy.