Odd people? Perhaps they do have a disability and you haven't experienced association or interaction with disabled folks. People with genetic disorders scare the hell out of some normal folks who just happen to be on medications for this and that.

Brushworks, how in the world did you read my post and come to the conclusion that I was frightened by the workers at BB and B? The definition of odd is "different from what is usual or expected". I didn't mean anything negative by my use of the word and actually debated on how to describe the situation without being insensitive.

I honestly wondered if someone knew if they had a practice of hiring people that wouldn't normally work in the public eye. If they did, I would certainly find that very admirable.

I go into BB&B about 3-5 times a year for a few items I can use the 20% off coupon. And sometimes to browse for a gift item. I find the people in our local store pleasant and helpful. I usually have a handful of coupons that have accumulated and they always help me figure out the best use, plus they have often helped me find or order a specific item.

Our local Publix does hire some people with disabilities. I know our former neighbor's son has CP but he is able to drive short distances, is very outgoing and smart and has worked there for many years (he's in his late 40's), and another church member's son has autism and works there. I commend the store for hiring these people.

I don't go to BB&B that often but when I do the customer service is excellent. I have noticed that the employees seem to be on a much lower socioeconomic scale. I often wonder if they use some kind of employment organization for the hard-to-employ. Whatever it is, the employees seem to be happy and well trained.

I'm sorry dee. I didn't mean to imply that you were frightened. EEEEEK!
Please explain what you mean by "unusual physical characteristics or mannerisms."

I visit a local family owned hardware store staffed by a majority of teen and college students. They never ask "can I help you find something?". They are pathetic at customer service. I know what the problem is. Their faces are usually staring at a phone screen. I told the manager her help is nothing more than bodies on the floor.

Give me an odd person any day. Especially one who is willing to go overboard to be helpful and courteous.

Seem like usual salespeople at my nearest BB&B.

It is the salespeople at Best Buy who most annoy me, usually teenagers more interested in talking with one another than being helpful.

There is a new Trader Joe's type grocery in our town. The employees all look a little out there (like the could work at TJ's) heavily tattooed, large gauges, numerous facial piercings, etc. I do think there are companies where that is more acceptable than others. My DD just filled out a server application on-line and was asked if she had any visible tattoos. She got hired!

My patients at work are younger and I am used to seeing people that are "unique". I think many older people are uncomfortable with people like this.

I go to BBB a few times a year. The staff has always been friendly, helpful, and checkout has been quick. My only complaint is I wish they would stop putting displays in the the middle of the aisles and leave them open. It is so difficult to maneuver a cart and you have to move to the other side to get by if there is already someone in the aisle on your side. It's even tight if you go off the main aisle to look at anything. The whole store needs more wiggle room for people and carts.

I'm with you on that Joanie. Maybe that's why I don't go there very often. I need space!

I have gone into multiple stores in different neighborhoods and haven't noticed anything different than your usual big box retail store, and the workers usually reflect the local demographics.

In most big box stores, there seems to be an assortment of sales help. You might see piercings, blue hair, tattoos, gender nuetral etc. more now more than in the past few years.

But, I guess what you are reacting to is an over abundance of 'not of the norm" employees..

I find the employees at our BB&B to be a little "above average" compared to say Target.

My 8 year old granddaughter's school teacher has a body full of tatoos, nose piercings, and 9 studs in each ear.

My granddaughter adores her and based on my observation, so do the other students.

Let's face it, we are all different in some way, therefore we find different things odd. I've always been very conservative in my clothing and hair, so when I see someone with tats and a load of piercings working in a retail store, it seems "odd" to me. Just as I'm sure my generation's "quirks" seemed odd to my folks and my grandparents.
I'll jump out here and say that some piercing totally gross me out and I have a hard time looking at someone with them without gagging. I can't help it, when I see a hole in someones ear up to the size of a quarter, I want to toss my cookies right then and there. It doesn't mean they aren't kind and helpful. It just means they are different. Most "different" I can handle, like tats. However, I do wonder what they'll look like when they are old and their skin is wrinkled. My daughter has quite a few tats. She knows I don't care of them, though they are done by amazing artist, for me, they'd be better suited on a wall than on my own daughter's body. I love her and she loves me so I tease her telling her when I talked about liking Painted Ladies when she was growing up I meant Victorian homes, not my daughter.
I think above is what the point the OP (deee_gw) was trying to get across. She wasn't trying to put anyone down, she just felt it odd, that so many of one type of "different" people were in one retail store.
It wasn't that long ago that people with tats and piercings had a hard time getting jobs in the public eye of retail. It seems to be this is just like in my day when many retail stores didn't care to higher someone with long hair. There was even a song about it called Signs by the Five Man Electric Band. The first line being.... "And the sign said, "Long-haired freaky people need not apply" "

People with tattoos and piercings still have a hard time landing jobs, but it comes with the territory, and I always appreciate employers who allow them, and comment favorably when I do encounter that.

I have many tattoos and piercings (thought you knew me, right?) although most are not visible. But I know lots of people heavily modified who then whine about not getting a job, or complain about people staring, which is just dumb, imo.

Well, I don't "know you, know you" violetwest, just what I've learned on here. I never thought about anyone here having or not having tatoos and/or piercings. I try not to judge people by their looks, but one can't always help doing that to some extent. I never would have guessed our daughter to be one to get tats, but looking back from the time shortly after she turned twelve, I can certainly say she chose to do things she different than I would have. She takes more after her Dad's sisters, than she does me, in many ways. I tease them about being bad influences, but I love them any less for not being exactly like me. Really it's no different than the color of ones skin or hair, but I doubt there's a one of us that can say we have never, ever, thought of another human as being different in one way or another. Unless we act upon it, meaning treat them with disrespect because of their "oddities" in our opinion, I see nothing wrong with the being curious about it. Which is what I believe the OPs intent was.

of course.

I never would have thought when the op said unusual physical char and mannerisms that she was referring to tattoos or style of dress, etc,etc,etc! funny how people interpret (or misinterpret) things so differently...

Yes it is busybee. And that often can get us in trouble, so to speak.

I can't say I've noticed anything uncommon about staff at any of B.B. & B. around here. But on the topic, I remember when we got a new priest at our church when I was a child. On his first day, he stood on the steps of the church and introduced himself to everyone as we headed inside. At the first point in the Mass when he raised his hands up, the sleeves of his cassock fell down to his elbows. Imagine our surprise when we saw his arms were completely covered in tattoos! It might not be as strange today, but this was back in the 60's. He was a wonderful guy, and although the older folks were shocked at first, he won them over very quickly. Last year my father needed heart surgery, I noticed his surgeon's arms were covered in tattoos . I guess they are much more acceptable in most professions, these days, at least where I live.

Boy, that would have been shocking back then, PickyShopper. Even now, I would think it odd for a Priest to be tattooed like that.

I,m not a fan of heavy tattooing or multiple piercings. But it doesn't change my mind or a thought as to who they are personally and interaction is the same as with anyone else. Since I'm old, I do wonder what they run into during interviews now and will in the future. I can think "ouch" though.

Never noticed anything different about BB&B. More the store itself as I'm not really into shopping there. For me it doesn't feel comfy or fun. Even with sales and the coupon.

I agree that tattoos are more common than ever before but they are still not as widely accepted in most of the professional world. Some can get away with it if they keep their tat's under cover. We went on a tour while in Italy. The tour guid always wore a long sleeve shirt, but rolled up to his forearms, even on the hottest days. At one point we did notice that he had tattoos on his arms when he lifted his arm.

I don't know anyone who is heavily tattooed. I think there might be a subculture associated with that. Maybe someone here can weigh in on that.

To me, I find a heavily tattooed woman distracting. Especially if she is wearing a formal dress. I also find looking at some tat's confusing. If it were me, I would be theme and colored coordinated! Again, there might be rhyme or reason to what they select and how they are placed, but I just don't understand it. Or it can be simply random things that have meaning to the person.

From what I gather from the people in my life who have tattoos, ( there are many) every tattoo is thought about and planned, it can symbolize/mark a period of their life , a hard one or a happy one, it can affirm what they believe in, it can also be a protest against the establishment ( something they might have felt like doing at a certain point of their life). Tattoos used to be less mainstream, I know I am getting used to seeing them in all walks of life, specially in the last 10 years.

I think the pain of getting a tattoo and also the permanency of it, can be something that speaks to you and attracts you, I thought of getting one before I turned 50, but I chickened out.

I know there is still a stigma attached to tattoos, I observe it from time to time. DD has a half leg beautiful design tattoo on her left leg, when we golf together I see the looks she gets, I can't gauge what they think, but I guess at a golf club , it's less expected ( specially on a woman).

anyway that's my take on tattoos, fwiw.

sorry for getting off track on your thread !!!!

went out yesterday and saw a woman from a distance to appeared to have two full arm sleeves of tattoos... she was wearing a sleeveless top. later saw her up close and saw her heavily tattooed arms wear really just 'sleeves'!! flesh colored compression type sleeves with tattoo like designs... have never seen that before! lol maybe she wore them to protect from the sun ??

busybee3, you must not watch The Big Bang Theory.

The reason I no longer go i to bed bath and beyond is because apparently they either bought out or combined forces with a pharmacy like CVS or Walgreens and have now split the store so you can also buy your stuff related to personal hygene and other whatnots (ie want nots) at the same time your looking for bedding. That was such a turn off to me, I left and have never gone back!

As far as tatoos and piercings go, I totally believe in the old phrase "to each his own" and don't judge, but at the same time, I really don't get it either. I can also admit that some of the self expression regarding the piercings looks so torcherous ams painful that its difficult for me to look at or be around.

As far as the OP question about the odd goes, obviously Brushworks hasn't been around the forums for long because of she had been she'd know deee has no ill will towards anyone and her post was just an observation. Please, take a chill pill Brushworks.

The BBB near me has always carried personal care items.

Found this info: Bed Bath & Beyond Inc., together with its subsidiaries, operates a chain of retail stores. It sells a range of domestics merchandise, including bed linens and related items, bath items, and kitchen textiles; and home furnishings, such as kitchen and tabletop items, fine tabletops, basic housewares, general home furnishings, consumables, and certain juvenile products. The company also offers health and beauty care items, and giftware and household items, as well as infant and toddler merchandise. Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. operates stores under the names of Bed Bath & Beyond (BBB); Christmas Tree Shops; Christmas Tree Shops andThat! or andThat! (CTS); Harmon or Harmon Face Values (Harmon); buybuy BABY (Baby); and World Market, Cost Plus World Market, and Cost Plus (Cost Plus World Market). In addition, it provides various textile products, amenities, and other goods to institutional customers in the hospitality, cruise line, food service, healthcare, and other industries. As of February 28, 2015, the company operated a total of 1,513 stores, including 1,019 BBB stores; 270 Cost Plus World Market stores; 96 Baby stores; 78 CTS stores; and 50 Harmon stores in 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and Canada, Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. was founded in 1971 and is based in Union, New Jersey.

no no, they installed a drug store look alike department that was HIDEOUS and here are pictures to prove it. I understand combining services if they make sense, but with this, I felt like I was in a completely different store and I did not enjoy the experience at all

Yep, looks just like what has been in the BBB by me - for many, many years. The one by me also has a huge food department (with a great selection of tea).

My store does not have drugstore items. It does have a small section of makeup mirrors, foot spas and some other odds and ends but no makeup.

And for the record, I was NOT referring to tattoos and piercings in my original post. :)

Mdln, I don't know where you are (we're in Michigan) but I wouldn't know if food has been added now too because I've never been back and I have no intent on returning anytime in the future. There is a local Best Buy doing a trial run on sharing space with a local furniture store as well and while that at least makes a little more sense, I still didn't like it. Mainly because the items I wanted to buy were no longer immediately available in that store and the sales person told me they had to cut inventory to make room for the furniture store. But I could still get it at another location a little farther away. Now, I just always go to the store farther away and avoid that store as well. It's annoying in so many ways.

Dee, I know they've always carried spa type things like that, but as you can see from the pics, the stores here have bb&b on one side, and drug store usa on the other, it is really awkward. I laugh at the idea of food being sold there too...why don't they just merge with Walmart and get it over with!

As for the record, I know you weren't, it was just the way the thread morphed and I was offering my take on that part of it. I also didn't perceive your original post as an attack against people who may be disabled in some way or another either as the one poster claimed Funny how a harmless observation can be so differently interpreted by people.

It really is fascinating how personal experiences and biases cause some to attack parts of posts that others find completely innocent or inoffensive. I find it interesting that my "real life" conversations are rarely filled with so much misunderstanding.

Lukki - The pictures you posted of your B B and B make me claustrophobic. I wouldn't shop there either.

Yes, I think shopping at BBB is a bit claustrophobic and do not go there often. Most recently for a wedding registry and then to find towels to match my new BR tile. My nearest store is in Schaumburg, IL and is apparently one of their "superstores" that are as large as 80,000 SF. I found their employees to be kind & helpful.

Interesting company profile

http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Bed_Bath__Beyond_Inc.aspx

That is interesting, did you notice where it said their principal competitors are Linens & Things which is now strictly online (and just barely at that), Target and JCP both of which are also struggling. And Target is offering groceries now too! I miss the good old days when there were plenty of great options for shopping like Zody's, Gemco and Fedco.

I never heard of Zody's, Gemco, or Fedco.
I didn't realize Target and JCP were struggling.

http://time.com/money/3558447/target-closing-stores/

http://fortune.com/2015/01/08/jcpenney-store-closings/

Oh, they were huge where we lived in So Cal. Zody's turned into Gemco and closed up when I was in my late 20's. Fedco didn't closed until much later but for years we would get our xmas tree from there. If I remember correctly it was one of the first membership stores and was Military related

Lukk, I had forgotten about Fedco and Gemco. We always went there, mostly to see what was new. Great discount stores with quality products. Had to be 30 years ago when they disappeared. Some of them turned into BestBuys, which during the time offered far more than just electronics.

justgota--- I actually have seen some of it a time or 2, but no, I do not!! does someone wear them on that show?? i'm so out of touch as far as tv goes! I should have mentioned it when we were out to my son- I know he watches it! :)

Wow lukki and Elraes, I have never heard of them. Of course my Daddy retired from the Army Air Corp before he married my Mum, hubby didn't get back into the military until after we were married, so that could be why I don't remember them. Interesting they turned into Best Buy. We have them here, and pretty much anywhere I've visited.

busybee, I think it was just once, but we watch reruns of The Big Bang all the time so I've seen it often. Wolowitz wore them once when he and Raj were heading out to the bars to meet some chicks. Wolowitz, before he married Bernadette, was always coming up with things that were chick magnets. Well in his head anyway.
You should watch it more often. It's hilarious.

Our local BB&B is mostly staffed by adult (not young adult) women. And none of the staff suggested to me that there might be particularly inclusive hiring going on.

On the tattoo front, our local Whole Foods staffers collectively show a lot of ink and piercings (far more than I've ever seen at Trader Joe's). At my work, which is pretty conservative, we used to have a receptionist with tattoo sleeves. But that was under the previous office manager. I don't think that would fly with our current office manager. We definitely have some folks with ink (including me, although you can't see mine), but nothing extensive.

Missed the comment, thank goodness.

I can't help but refer to BB&B as "Bed, Bath & Bullsh*t" after hearing a comedian call it that (can't recall who it was, but the name just seems to fit).

Re tattoos, I'm pretty heavily inked myself and have managed to hold a job in a fairly conservative industry, working with senior level executives, for 23 years. I don't wear clothing that shows my half sleeves, but I do have a couple of tats that are visible most days. News flash: Nobody cares. ;-)

i went into our local bb&b a couple of times before the holidays- purchased a miele vac for a great price and a few other odds and ends... for the most part i like the quality of the brands they carry.

anyway, they had a display of several different types of massage chairs set up... one that had a deeper massage i really liked! i sat in it and ran thru their demo program probably about 5x's on each visit! lol i still may go over there and pick one up!

I was at BB&B today. Bought some eye drops and Paul Mitchell hairspray. Used two of their 20% off coupons plus a vendor coupon for the eye drops. I like their "drug store" area. Good prices and they always mail coupons. I haven't noticed anything unusual about the employees.

Oddly enough, I was at a BBB yesterday. I hadn't been in one in years. I was surprised by the high number of employees wandering around the sales floor. I was disappointed by how few registers they had open and how long it took them to decide to open another register. I was reminded why I hate to go in there. I did manage to get an arm workout done because I bought a heavy, rubbery outdoor mat and had parked at the othe end of the mall (not planning on going into BBB or buy a heavy doormat).

Can we backtrack a bit ? What exactly does this mean, with regards to their employees being 'ODD'?

"unusual physical characteristics or mannerisms"

Nothing odd or unusual about our BB&B employees here. It would take a bit for me to notice. I do know the lines move SLOWLY, so I try to go at off hours. They're not as slow as Kohl's, though.

. When we used to have a video store (remember those?) there was one lass with Cindi Lauper hair (multicolored) and one older guy who wore a copper wire pyramid on his head.

Our local grocery hires baggers and shopping cart attendees who often have some mental disabilities with attendant "quirks" (for which I commend the store). I miss seeing the older chap who always had a kind word when he was retrieving carts from the lot. I don't know if he's still working there but at different hours, or not.