Retail work has long been considered a staple of the American workforce, offering flexible hours and a steady paycheck. But for many women in retail, a single job isn’t enough to make ends meet. To get a clearer picture of the reality behind the counter, we spoke to ten women working retail jobs about whether they rely on additional employment to stay financially stable.
All of the women interviewed were offered the opportunity to flash us for $100, solo nude model for $500, Blowjob for $1000, G/G sex scene for $1250 or a B/G sex scene for $2500. The results were surprising.
Meet the Women Behind the Counter
Elery, 23 – Coffee Chain Barista
“I actually have three jobs. Starbucks is my main one, but I also work as a waitress on weekends and pick up gig work like food delivery whenever I can. The cost of living is just too high, and I want to eventually go back to school, so I have to hustle.”
Violet, 25 – Movie Theatre Usher & Swim Instructor
“This is my full-time job, I’m next in line for a supervisor position, but I also teach swimming lessons to kids in the evenings at a swim school. Even with both jobs, it’s hard to afford everything my boyfriend and I need. He doesn’t have a job right now and is addicted to video games.
I’d love to just have one stable job that pays well so I can take care of us and get him the help he needs to break his addiction, but that’s not my reality right now. I want to get a promotion at the swim school but it still wouldn’t pay very well. It’s all my degree in sports coaching could get me. Maybe I could coach a swim team some day.”
Karlee, 30 – Convenience Store Employee
“I work 3 part time jobs. Here at the gas station, at a dry cleaner, and I do some bartending at a pretty divey place. The men there always offer me money for stuff and it’s not good because I get so tempted but it would be so bad. I’ve been trying to find a better-paying job as the desperation is killing me, but right now, I have to basically work all waking hours to cover my rent.”
Mel, 26 – Sandwich Artist
“My sandwich job is part time, I am also an internist at a local hospital and am trying to catch up on student loans.”
Kylee, 24 – Hardware Store Employee
“I work here during the day and some nights, and I tutor high school students in the evening at this afterschool program because I was always really good at math. I can solve so many problems in my head, but have other learning disabilities and couldn’t score high enough to get into college.
You should see the guys get blown away when I determine how much lumber they need for their project within like 2 seconds. They always second-guess my answer and are blown away when they realize I’m right. This job really doesn’t pay enough to be my main job. This place is steady, but I need both jobs to make it work.”
Marcy, 22 – Fast Food Worker
“I work fast food and also take on freelance design projects. My dream is to make a living from my design work, but until that happens, I need my retail job to pay the bills. Neither job provides benefits, so I have to be really careful about my health and expenses. It’s exhausting, but I need both to survive.”
Lizzie, 20 – Pizza Order Taker
“I have this job and an internship at a country club as a pastry chef. Hopefully they’ll hire me some day so I can quit taking pizza orders. I mean for fucks sake, people can do this themselves online, I don’t even know why people still call in orders. What are they fucking stupid or something? Anyways I work with my boyfriend at the pizza shop. I mean I guess fiancee. He proposed to me in his pizza uniform. Not very romantic but whatever.”
Beth, 43 – Big Box Store Associate
“This is my only job, but that’s because my husband makes good money. If it weren’t for his income, I’d probably have to get a second job like most of my coworkers.”
The Bigger Picture
Nine out of ten women we interviewed work more than one job to stay financially afloat. Their reasons vary—low wages, lack of benefits, high cost of living—but the common theme is that retail alone is not enough. Only one woman, Emily, can afford to live on her retail job alone, and that’s because she has financial support from her spouse.
This speaks to a broader issue in the retail industry: wages and stability. Many of these women are forced to stretch themselves thin, sacrificing sleep, personal time, and even their health to make ends meet. The question remains—when will retail jobs offer a living wage so that working women don’t have to work multiple jobs just to survive?