Nov 24, 2007

Retailers in the Anderson area looking for a few good men and womenBy Liz CareyIndependentMail.com

For many retailers in the Anderson area, Christmas means more work with less help.

Chuck Berry, owner of the Berry House Gift Shop in Anderson, said his biggest problem during Christmas is finding good help.

“We’ll put up a sign that says we’re taking applications, and we may get a few people who respond, but for some reason the people who could work don’t want to,” he said. “We are constantly looking for good employees.”

With the added hours the holiday shopping season brings in, he is under constant stress to accommodate his employees’ schedules while maintaining the store, he said.

That kind of scheduling is not limited to small stores, said Kmart store manager Gene Benfield. Finding people to work the Anderson Kmart is a year-round concern, he said.

“We’re finding it hard to find help that meets our needs,” he said. “Retail is a nights and weekend occupation. That’s not when people want to work.”

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