Malled: My Unintentional Career in Retail
Ms. Kelly has taken on a very timely subject and brought it into focus via her experiences in dealing with the “repressed” economy of this country. Not being able to find a position within her métier—writing/reporting—she settles in to a position as a retail sales person at her local mall . . . hence the title.
Ms. Kelly soon discovers the many plights of the retail employed work force; they are underpaid, overworked, and undereducated about their products. They alsoi make up one of the largest portions of this country’s work force. This being said, the book should have been a “true life” telling of the behind the scenes and everyday stories of a sore-footed retail slave, but instead Ms. Kelly has chosen to turn this into a treatise on the retail business in general.
If you have ever worked for a day in any kind of retail situation, you know that truth is certainly stranger than fiction when it comes to “satisfying” a customer. The stories are legend and yet we learn about her co-workers and their plights, but we are rarely treated to the truly scary moments of being on the receiving end of the “customer from hell.” Instead, we are informed of labor statistics, the ennui involved in “working the floor,” why the retail business has such unhappy employees, and how mistreated and underappreciated they are during their employ.
One might have hoped for a more humorous and less scholarly approach and also not such a narrow view of the business of retail.
Where were the examples of those who are happy doing their job, posing a counterpoint and more balanced approach to delving into the failings of the “profession” and its related businesses? There are many associates out there, who sell apparel, who make six figures and have turned retailing into a profitable and rewarding career.
Although much of what Ms. Kelly describes about the retail wars will ring true to any retail veteran, she Kelly offers us only the downside as seen through her very limited experience in the business. A missed opportunity for both humor and balanced reporting.