So Christmas dinner has come and gone and the tree stands there looking so bare without the presents. Whilst you sit there in a food coma recovering from the large amount of food you ate, you look at the presents you have received and realise you are not quite satisfied. But then a big grin appears on your face when you remember that tomorrow brings the Boxing Day Sales. 

Boxing Day shopping on Oxford Street, London. Photo courtesy of flickr creative commons: flickr.com/photos/londoneater/5294649054

What is the Boxing Day Sales? Well, Boxing Day is another bank/public holiday on the 26th of December that follows after Christmas day.  You would think this day would be used to relax, spend more time with your family, and use the leftover turkey to make turkey sandwiches. However that is not the case for most people in the UK. Boxing Day means Sales; Sales means shopping overload, which means chaos - and of all the days, I found myself working at Dune (a shoe store) in the midst of all this madness.

As I left for work on the morning of the deadly 26th, I knew that it was going to be busy but I didn’t know how busy until I got there.  When I jumped on the bus 96 going to Bluewater shopping centre, the packed bus and being stuck in traffic was already a sign of what was to come. I finally reached Bluewater only to find myself struggling to pass through the big crowds of people, swerving in and out as they crossed my path. This was only the beginning of my chaotic day.

Dune sale signs lured the customers in, and within minutes the store was filled with people. Different customers at once asking for our help making us run back and forth from the stock room. At one point it got too much as I was serving four customers at a time, so we (the staff) started to avoid the customer’s eye so they would direct themselves to another staff member for help.  Sneaky but it had to be done.

I was so glad when my shift at work was over, and I just wanted to go home and sleep. I had been on my feet all day and I’m positive that running up and down at work burnt off all the Christmas food from the day before. The long journey back home as I was stuck in traffic allowed me to reflect on the day. Is it really worth it? Waking up early in the morning to queue outside a store and when it finally opens a big stampede of people rush in, knocking you about. You search and look for things you like, maybe even fight with people about ‘who saw it first’. But you leave with several bags, your body aches, and you hate the world for being rough and pushing you.

Boxing Day Sales + shopper overload give me a headache; I don’t think I will ever work on Boxing Day again, plus I would rather just avoid all that stress, stay at home, and shop online. You know there are sales online as well. So don’t travel - let the sale come to you...it’s much easier. 

Nadia Adusei-Boateng is a member of the Youth Travel Blogging Mentorship Program.