Working a retail shift — undercover
Plus: Prominent lawyer Bill Diehl dies at 78 — BofA CEO rumored for Treasury secretary — Johnson & Wales names new president — Tennis headed to former Eastland Mall site?
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Our humor columnist went undercover as a retail worker to experience the other side of holiday shopping; photo ops with Bubba the Bear and hot-selling Yetis
by Colleen Brannan
I always feel sorry for seasonal retail workers who have to deal with demanding shoppers, and I’ve long wondered what it would be like to walk a shift in their shoes. So, I decided to venture undercover this holiday season.
My original dream job of being Santa’s photo helper at SouthPark Mall was crushed by red tape and North Pole gatekeepers (PR people), so I quickly pivoted and got an outdoor specialty retailer, Jesse Brown’s — located ACROSS from the mall that wouldn’t have me — to play ball.
Grrreetings: It’s difficult to compete with Bubba the Bear, a mounted 8-foot tall, several-hundred-pound Grizzly from British Columbia that’s been a store staple for 25 years and the first thing you see upon entering the store. On loan from long-time customer and retired National Gypsum executive Mace Coleman, people come from miles around just to get their photo taken with Bubba. (Yes, I did too.)
Prepping for the assignment: “Outdoorsy” is not exactly a word anyone would use to describe me, unless we’re talking about an occasional visit to the Lucky Lou’s patio on a sunny afternoon. With this in mind, I knew I needed to brush up on the lingo so I could appear somewhat conversational in fly fishing, camping and hiking. Google led me to glossaries of both traditional and slang terms. Imagine my surprise when I learned brown water, common slang for whiskey, had camping cousins named grey and black water. (Look it up after breakfast.)
Decked out in reindeer antlers and a holiday sweater, I arrived at the store around 11 a.m. Thursday morning. Jesse Brown’s has been located on the second floor of Sharon Corners for the past 28 years. Owner Bill Bartee greeted me with my very own name tag and explained the four roles at Jesse Brown’s: greeter, floor consultant, cashier and gift wrapper.
It was his plan for me to spend time in each during the lunchtime rush. My co-workers were told I was holiday help arranged through the Uptown Rotary (Bill and I are both members), and none seemed to question it. They welcomed me aboard immediately.
Out on the Floor – Flying Yetis and the other Jesse Brown: As predicted, around noon the place got busy with wives seeking gifts for their husbands and husbands perusing the goods for themselves. Some knew exactly what they wanted, and others were “just browsing.” Yeti “Hopper Flip” coolers seemed to fly out the door.
My cover was almost blown when I ran into commercial real estate broker Kenny Smith, who was shopping for a laptop bag. It was likely the antlers on my head that made him do a double-take, but I quickly offered the excuse that I was helping out a fellow Rotarian.
While I was poised and ready to drop some of my new outdoor terms like “cowboy camping,” “waders” and “bushwhacking” on these unsuspecting shoppers, sadly, the opportunity never presented itself. One guy had many questions about the man on the sign, Jesse Brown, looking around as if he might be there. Wes, the general manager, explained the store’s history as the first outdoor specialty retailer in the South and how founder Jesse Brown, originally a commercial pilot from Greer, S.C., had passed away just a few years ago. Turns out this customer’s interest was personal as his name was Jesse Brown, too. Naturally, he bought a hat and shirt.
That’s a wrap: With all these lunchtime sales, I knew my time to shine was coming in the gift wrap department, especially since it’s a free service. My teammate, Christopher Lawing, showed me “the Jesse Brown way,” and I was off to the races wrapping jackets, shirts, pants and vests.
Other than a few paper cuts, I feel like this is where I contributed the most value. (An interesting side-note about Christopher: He’s an eighth-generation Charlottean who authored the book “Charlotte: The Signs of the Times” featuring iconic signs around the Queen City. Sold at the store, it seems like a great gift idea for any native Charlottean.)
This was my second Ledger undercover assignment, and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t hoping to uncover a bit of retail dirt. But there was no bad customer or employee behavior breaking out at Jesse Brown’s — maybe because it’s an independent specialty retailer with this statement posted in the back office: “Our promise is to engage clients with the right product as they pursue their activity and identity, bringing value to their experience and meaning to their purchase.”
I’m still wondering what to do with all my newfound outdoor jargon I didn’t get to use during my shift. For example, I learned tinder is also used to start a campfire…
Colleen Brannan owns BRANSTORM PR and says her outdoorsy phase was limited to Girl Scouts. Follow her on social: IG (Colleen_ Brannan), Twitter (@colleenbrannan) and LinkedIn or email her at colleen@branstorm.com.
This week in Charlotte: Prominent lawyer Bill Diehl dies; CMS releases south Charlotte school boundary options; New clue in Kim Thomas murder?; Moynihan rumored to lead Treasury Department; New JWU president
On Saturdays, The Ledger sifts through the local news of the week and links to the top articles — even if they appeared somewhere else. We’ll help you get caught up. That’s what Saturdays are for.
Local news
CMPD might have DNA match for 1990 murder: (Observer, subscriber-only) Charlotte defense attorney David Rudolf says that a Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police homicide detective has found a DNA match for the 1990 murder of Kim Thomas, the 32-year-old Charlotte activist, doctor’s wife and mother who was murdered in her Cotswold home, but CMPD is declining to release any new information right now.
Pinehurst area loses power: (News & Observer) About 45,000 households in the Pinehurst area lost power last Saturday due to widespread power outages caused by gunfire damage to two Duke Energy substations.
Helicopter crash investigation: (Observer) The pilot of the WBTV helicopter that crashed last month never made a distress call and was in a training exercise when it went into a rapid descent, according to preliminary findings by the National Transportation Safety Board.
Education
CMS closes in on new district boundaries: (Ledger 🔒) Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools released three new draft maps as its top contenders for shifting school boundaries for a new high school scheduled to open in south Charlotte in the fall of 2024.
Johnson & Wales names Queens dean as new president: (Ledger 🔒) Rick Mathieu, dean of the Queens University of Charlotte’s McColl School of Business, will start his new position as president of Johnson & Wales University’s Charlotte campus on Jan. 3.
Politics
Dunlap to lead commissioners again: (Observer) Mecklenburg County commissioners selected George Dunlap to serve his fifth term as chairman in a 6-2 vote.
N.C. redistricting at Supreme Court: (WFAE) The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments on Wednesday on a North Carolina case that could reshape how electoral maps are drawn.
Business
Tennis at Eastland, anyone? (Biz Journal, subscriber-only) The developer of the old Eastland Mall site says three groups have expressed interest in building a sports complex as part of the project, including a proposal received this week for a $55M tennis center that would need $45M in public funding. The city is expected to review proposals early next year.
BofA CEO for Treasury secretary? Bank of America CEO Brian Moynihan is on a short list of possible replacements for Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, according to a report Friday by Fox Business that cited unnamed sources familiar with the Biden administration’s thinking. Moynihan, who attended a state dinner last week, told CNBC that the job is “not on my mind” and that his position at the bank is “the best job in the world.”
Sports
Mayfield cut, then wins: (ESPN) The Carolina Panthers cut quarterback Baker Mayfield on Monday, the Los Angeles Rams signed him on Tuesday, and he led the Rams to a thrilling prime-time win on Thursday, capped by a 98-yard touchdown drive.
New Charlotte FC star coming? (TopBin90) News reports from South America say that Charlotte FC is paying $6.3M to sign forward Enzo Copetti from Argentina, who would likely be a “designated player,” or one of the club’s biggest stars.
Good reads
Remembering Bill Diehl: (Observer) Bill Diehl, one of Charlotte’s best-known lawyers, died overnight Thursday at age 78 after complications from a stroke. He made his mark on some of Charlotte’s biggest cases, from divorces to other civil disputes, and prominent clients included George Shinn, Bruton Smith, Felix Sabates, Ric Flair and Rick Hendrick. The Charlotte Observer’s Mike Gordon captured his hard-charging and compassionate sides with plenty of anecdotes. “He was a man of great contrasts, passionate on all ends,” Diehl’s brother, Danny Diehl, said.
Time to ground aerial newsgathering? (WFAE) Last month’s deadly WBTV news helicopter crash near I-77 further emphasizes the danger of helicopter reporting that has killed over 70 journalists and pilots since helicopters were introduced into news and radio reporting in the 1960s.
History of N.C. State's sadistic mascot decals: (N.C. Rabbit Hole) Writer
of examines the fascinating origins of old decal stickers from the 1950s that show N.C. State’s mascot, Mr. Wuf, feasting on the carcass of UNC’s mascot, Rameses — among other violent acts committed against other college mascots:
From the Ledger family of newsletters
Bourbon battle: South Carolina liquor giant Southern Spirits hosted its first ever “Allocated Olympics” at Elon Park in south Charlotte last weekend, where 80 adults competed in field day events — like a pillow sack race and tug-of-war — to win the chance to purchase rare bottles of bourbon.
Myers Park High adjusts sick policy: After parents expressed concern over Myers Park High’s attendance policy that pressured students to go to school sick, Myers Park announced that sick students who miss school don’t need to attend special “attendance recovery” sessions, as long as they provide proper documentation.
Bear orchestra finds new home: The Leonard Bearstein Symphony Orchestra, an 18-piece ensemble of animatronic bears playing holiday music, will perform at the Celebration of Lights in Kannapolis through Dec. 30 after being exiled after a 20-year run at Founders Hall in uptown.
Larken Egleston has a new job: Larken Egleston, the former Charlotte City Council member who lost in this year’s Democratic city primary election, will run newly elected U.S. Rep. Jeff Jackson’s district offices starting Jan. 3.
Wednesday (🔒)
Pottery park plans in Matthews: The town of Matthews has plans to take the remains of a historic 1950s pottery kiln and studio on Jefferson Street, west of downtown, and transform it into Outen Pottery Park, a self-guided museum and educational resource.
Museum of Illusions opens in uptown Charlotte: Museum of Illusions, a global private museum chain, opened its newest location on Friday in uptown Charlotte at 601 S. Tryon St. and includes over 60 exhibits of interactive and immersive optical illusions and holograms.
Friday (🔒)
Backyards by the hour: Sniffspot, a national online network of hourly private dog park rentals, has over 150 listings in Mecklenburg and surrounding counties, ranging from fenced-in urban backyards to semi-rural pastures with lakes and streams.
Providence High to be included in CMS maps: Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools says it will release a fourth draft map for consideration that would have students in Olde Providence’s elementary zone transition to Providence High instead of South Meck.
New brand for Ballantyne: Ballantyne is replacing its familiar curvy dark blue “B” logo with a “B” that has a “more colorful, modern design.”
Residents concerned about apartment plan in SouthPark: Not all SouthPark residents are on board with The Related Group’s plans to redevelop the Trianon condos at the corner of Colony and Roxborough roads to include a 15-story tower and 730 apartments, and they made their skepticism known at a community meeting Thursday.
Ways of Life (🔒)
Since KinderMourn was founded in 1978 to offer support and counseling for those who have lost children, the Charlotte nonprofit has hosted a candle-lit holiday service. Last Sunday, the holiday service was held at Myers Park United Methodist Church.
No passenger projections for proposed light rail route: Charlotte Area Transit System staff did not provide ridership estimates for its three proposed routes for the east-west Silver Line light rail, but its preferred route likely has the lowest ridership of the three because it doesn’t pass through the city’s center, which could cost the city funding from the Federal Transit Administration.
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Santa takes a break from his holiday deliveries to keep up with the latest Charlotte news and insights that he literally cannot find anywhere else. (St. Nick seen here in rare CPI Security footage from Providence Plantation in 2021.)
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Executive editor: Tony Mecia; Managing editor: Cristina Bolling; Staff writer: Lindsey Banks; Contributing editor: Tim Whitmire, CXN Advisory; Contributing photographer/videographer: Kevin Young, The 5 and 2 Project