23 Pictures Understandable Only To People Working In Retail

Retail workers see a lot, and not all of it is pretty. From strange questions to impossible customers, the job can turn an ordinary shift into a story worth retelling.

These pictures capture the kind of moments only people in retail will instantly recognize, the long hours, the awkward interactions, and the small disasters that pile up during a busy day. It is the kind of work that can be funny one minute and exhausting the next.

Here are 23 pictures that hit especially hard if you have ever worked behind a register, stocked a shelf, or dealt with the public all day.

1. Telling the Time:

twitter.com_blaineb

2. The Significance of 27 Seconds:

Twitter: @lilbittired

3. Stupidity in Its Purest Form:

Twitter: @clapgod

4. Guidelines for Adhering to the Rules:

Twitter: @mariah_hartjes

5. You Are So Right...

Twitter: @stephfranecx

6. True Heroes

Twitter: @kimjohnston_

7. Exactly What You've Made?

Twitter: @evelynnleee

8. How Long Does a Break Last?

Twitter: @lolzdonz

9. The Reality:

Twitter: @_nicolebarker

A retail job is most commonly associated with sales representatives on the sales floor in stores that sell apparel, groceries, and other commodities, but anyone who interacts with consumers for a retail organization, whether on or off the sales floor, can be considered a retail worker. Anyone who has worked in retail knows that there are excellent customers, terrible customers, and individuals who have just escaped hell and are out to make everyone's life a living misery.

That pretty much sums up the job in one sentence.

This reminds me of the office worker who refused to share lunch after a coworker kept stealing it.

10. What It's Like to Switch Shifts:

Twitter: @myla_leocke

11. What Should Be Permitted:

Twitter: @darthjader

12. I Know It’s Not Your Fault, But You Are Here....

Twitter: @annanevinx

13. Customers Are ALWAYS WRONG:

Twitter: @abbyramm_

14. In-Depth Discussions:

Twitter: @utterly_black

15. Devastation in Its Purest Form:

Twitter: @hayleyyymackay

16. When You Should Hide:

Twitter: @hannahofarrell1

17. The Most Dreadful Type of Coworker:

Twitter: @ecwxxxx

18. Here's What a Long Day Looks Like in Real Life:

Twitter: @curranxkatie

19. Shifts from the Other Side:

Twitter: @life_iscrazzy

20. The True Nature of the Work:

Twitter: @andrew_baulch

21. All of the Aching Jaws:

Twitter: @_triplekat

22. Yucky Warm Money:

Twitter: @_oliviasmith

23. In Particular, Brenda:

Twitter: @vodkaprinc3ss

One job website states that, “If you enjoy being around people and have strong interpersonal skills, working in retail might be the right career path for you. Retail often offers flexible hours that help you achieve a good work-life balance, and sales retail jobs can offer competitive pay and the opportunity to grow within the company.”

We guess no one asked retail workers for their opinion. If they had, we believe the text would have been a lot different.

Retail workers would probably have a few edits.

Retail rules are one thing, but see the coworker who always orders pricey lunches and the split-bill fallout.