Retail Work in the 24/7 Service Society: Deregulation, Neoliberalism and Consumerism

In this research the category of time is observed through the perceptions of retail shift workers, related to the socioeconomic context of mass consumption, characterized by social acceleration and immediacy. The category of time is socially constructed, historical and situated. Nowadays we can observe an exponential increasing of shopping malls and shops, where the dimension of time is turning in an eternal present. The topic of this research is the dimension of time in the retail work. The aim of this contribution is to better understand the perception of time of the young retail shift workers in two European shopping streets: Corso Buenos Aires, Milan, Italy (1), and Oxford Street in London, United Kingdom (2). These are two different contexts both characterized by openings on Sundays and on Holidays, an high density of shops and great affluence of hurried customers. The hypothesis of this empirical research is that the retail shift workers (RSW) were conditioned in their social and everyday life by the flexible schedule and the pace of work, as well as by the relationships with customers. The methods used are qualitative methods: interviews, focus groups and ethnographic fieldwork. From 2011 to 2014 I worked as sales assistant in the first case study, in 2016 I carried out 6 months of observation in the second one, collecting interviews and focus groups with RSW and trade unionists. The first results show that the young RSW in both the contexts have difficulties in planning their future, in reflecting on themselves, in choosing and in acting accordingly. Because of the flexible schedule and the Sunday and Holiday work, they must plan their life accordingly to the work schedule, which often changes at the last minute. They have not power over their own time, especially from 2011 when in Italy the shop opening hours were fully deregulated. They seem to live in a condition of eternal present. Studying this contexts we have to reflect on the power over time, linked to the phenomenon of consumerism, the contraction of time. This research will continue to collect more data. The fast pace of work in the shopping areas of the postmodern cities could create a context of anxiety and stress. Moreover this kind of work is characterized by an emotional relationship. The mass consumption and the demand of instant satisfaction, in a store situated in a shopping street full of hurried potential customers, plus the flexible schedule could generate a condition of alienation. It is important to study the workers' perceptions of time from a sociological perspective, especially in Italy where the shop openings are fully deregulated. With this research I want to underline the fact that these particular times and rhythms of work and consumption condition the whole society, the times and rhythms of the city. The deregulation implies important social transformations. There are political choices at the base of the deregulation, and it is important to analyze the consequences.