9 Unbelievable Stories About Working On Black Friday

Black Friday: For some, it’s an excuse to bundle up indoors and recover from a Tryptophan-induced hangover. For others, it’s a crack-of-dawn call to arms in the name of big savings. The day after Thanksgiving has historically been one of the busiest shopping days of the year; last year, stores raked in around $50.9 billion (!) over the holiday weekend. With stores opening earlier and earlier each year, and people literally dying for sales, there's no sign of a spending slowdown.

Naturally, catering to the savings-hungry masses can be stressful for those who work in retail — behind the scenes, it's not so merry. We asked nine retail workers to share their most memorable tales from working Black Friday. And with appearances by everyone from hangry mall shoppers to a super-sweet David Beckham, these stories don’t disappoint.