It was the best of times is how Charles Dickens started his famous novel A Tale of Two Cities. This saying reminds me of the Christmas/Holiday season in so many ways. I often reminisce about Christmas’ past. I think about how wonderful Christmas was as a child as well as Christmas’ watching my children grow.

The joys of the Holidays, the getting together with family, the giving, the euphoria and enthusiasm demonstrated by children on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, and understanding the true reason for the season. It makes me think of Julie Andrews singing—“My Favorite Things.” Growing up in Retail I am reminded of 10 of my favorite things about Christmas in Retail.

1. The euphoria when your plan is executed and the goals are achieved and exceeded.
2. Helping a customer find the perfect gift when they are buying Jewelry or Electronics or Toys.
3. Ensuring a customer gets a complete purchase—batteries for those batteries not included items.
4. Teamwork—when everyone truly is working together to get the customers in and out as fast and as skillfully as possible.
5. Employees and their cheerfulness. Employees that work tirelessly to ensure the customers are taken care of. The employees that willingly work over when someone does not or cannot show for their shift. The employees that come to work when they are not feeling well but do not want you to be shorthanded.
6. Being staffed properly to maximize results, take the customers money, and handle customers skillfully.
7. $100,000 sales days.
8. Having a great team that gets the job done.
9. Resolving an out of stock/sold out situation to the satisfaction of the customer.
10. Closing Christmas Eve—knowing you have done all you can to help as many customers as you can, thanking your employees for a job well done, and going home to your families for a well-earned Holiday where you get to enjoy just being with them and knowing the true reason as to why you have worked so hard the past couple of months.

Retail is not for everyone. Many would not enjoy the things related to Retail that I did. However, when Retail gets in your blood, the Christmas season can be incredibly exhilarating. Of course, I could come up with many, many more joys as well as challenges of the season and communicate specifics, but I have decided to keep this short so you can enjoy the season.

Again, these are a few of my favorite things. What are yours?

Merry Christmas everyone!