Xmas music in shops

It's just too bloody early. Christmas seems to start in August now. I hate it. Ban everything til December1st.

Absolute farts? Are we still talking about Celia Imrie on Celebrity Traitors?

Well I work in a high street retail business (although I don’t technically work in “retail” myself) and have done for 25 years.

I love the Christmas music and I’m happy that it’s started. I do think it’s “too early” and it’s not Christmas yet, but I don’t care as I just love the music!

We get a mix of Christmas songs and other good non-Xmas songs, whereas in all the rest of the year we just get totally shit songs you’ve never heard of that these days are probably written by AI.

You don’t speak for everyone or even everyone who works in retail…

I totally love it. There are bits of every job that are shit, I guess.

If I ruled the world Christmas music and switching on of Christmas lights in public places, and Christmas TV adverts would be prohibited until the first Sunday in Advent. Wouldn't stop anyone filing their boots at home, listening to Christmas music on their headphones while shopping, if they like to start early. That seems a perfectly reasonable "compromise" and balance.

😂 thank you for your service. And the Christmas music. 😊

I suppose the obvious question is why do you state things as if they’re absolute farts and apply to everyone? I often merrily (see what I did there!) hum along to Christmas music in shops.

I quite enjoy it but think it needs to wait until 1st December & then stop on boxing day.

Oh jeez, who let out all the humbugs today

Does not enjoying the same old shitty Christmas songs year after year really make someone a humbug?

Choices are not made in a vacuum. Regarding the Christmas music, I have no issue with them, as long as the volume is not sky high,

But for many of us, a "foolish sector" is appropriate for us at that stage of our life. Thousands of students work in retail around their studies because it's part time and flexible. They need/want 10 hours or 12 hours a week, they want a job they don't have to think about out of work, they don't want responsibility or a "career". People who have young children and juggle caring for them with another adult who is working full time might take an evening/weekend job in a supermarket or convenience store because it suits them and their circumstances. Older people who have retired again want a flexible job which isn't demanding in terms of responsibility.

Saying that an entire sector is foolish and/or the people working there are fools just shows a total lack of thought and the inability to consider the huge range of reasons why someone might be working in Primark or the Co-Op.

And whatever their reasons, they have the right not to listen to Noddy Holder on repeat for a 4 or 6 hour shift.

I worked in retail and I didn’t mind the Christmas CD at all - and I still like Christmas music. You clearly have an issue with it and I’m sorry it distresses you - but I’d like to see the studies that link to the fact that it’s terribly bad and depressing for us all.

Thanks for the clarification.
I said neither of those things; people make their choices does not say that all people have the same choices; retail is a fools’ game does not say retail workers are fools. It means they work in a foolish sector.

But you guys pick today’s fight. MN strikes again.

I used to work in retail and I still love it!!

We always started playing Christmas music in July when the first cards came out

That is just fucking bonkers.

Nobody thinks you’re a snob just because you wouldn’t work retail. Lots of people wouldn’t.

We think you’re a snob because you think everyone has the same choices and those who do work in retail are fools. That’s what makes you a snob.

Having a different view doesn’t make you a snob.

There are some crazy insinuations here just because I wouldn’t work in retail!

I managed a card shop for years. We always started playing Christmas music in July when the first cards came out, one song every three hours, obviously increasing in number of songs and frequency as we got closer to Christmas.

I loved Christmas songs then and I still love them now 🎅

Well, then they’d be wrong. As I said, we all make our choices and have different likes, dislikes and requirements of a job.
I always show the utmost respect to retail workers, especially at Christmas! But I know a lot of people don’t. It’s a very tough job, that’s why I call it a ‘fools’ game’ - incredibly hard, treated badly by management and the public, and pretty thankless in terms of pay, no tipping etc.

People don’t all have the same choices open to them. Working in children’s services and adult social care I’ve met many people for whom a retail job would be an amazing achievement.

Snobbish attitudes towards any kind of honest paid work are just nasty.

I love it but i do feel now is too early, start it from 1st December and end when you close for Christmas. Maybe add some Carols from Kings or similar in to the mix.

Seeing people buying shite depresses me too. Aisles and aisles of complete tat in the shops which you know is going to be thrown in landfill by the middle of January.

I would assume it's customers who think they are above and better than the people serving them

I'm not really a fan of shop music, Christmas or otherwise but I do feel for the assistants. I worked for a year somewhere where the managers playlist was on a loop. Those songs are still circling my head and it's been 5 years.

Oh jeez, who let out all the humbugs today?! 🤣🎄

Don’t worry @Fayaway - 35yo fellow retail “fool” here 😉 Some of us have to be or everyone would be buggered when it came to getting their Christmas shopping 👍🏻 doesn’t pay great but it’s enough for what we need and fits in well with our childcare needs so I’ll be a “fool” 👍🏻

Have worked in retail since I was 15 and still love Christmas music 😂🎄 although, in fairness I have full control over what is played and we have dozens of playlists to pick from so it’s less repetitive than some other places. Strict 1st December rule here too - but from then on it’s Christmas music, staff free to wear Christmas jumpers/accessories if they wish, and some fun festive games to keep staff morale up 🤷🏻‍♀️