I've worked at Kohl's for 9 Black Fridays. I get my fair share of pushy customers, but my favorites are the people who make a day of it.

• MaryKate Murphy has worked every Black Friday at Kohl's for the last nine years.
• Murphy said a lot has changed since the pandemic, but working on Black Fridays is always fun.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with MaryKate Murphy, a Kohl's employee from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, about working on Black Friday. It's been edited for length and clarity.

I became a permanent employee at Kohl's eight years ago. One October, I started out as a seasonal worker, and now I'm working my ninth Black Friday at the store.

Before COVID-19, we'd open at 4 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day, and the store wouldn't close until midnight on Black Friday, which meant we were open for 32 hours straight. I worked 16 of those hours — eight hours each day.

Working on Thanksgiving was wild. The first few years, we'd have big-ticket items like televisions and cameras that went fast, and certain sales ended on Thanksgiving itself. Those hours were the most intense because some people would shove into the store trying to make it past other customers in order to get one of the limited-stock items with a deal.

But in 2020, because of the pandemic, we didn't open until Black Friday, and ever since then Kohl's and other big retail stores seem to have stopped opening on Thanksgiving, which is nice because I don't have to miss spending time with my family.

On Black Fridays, I have to get to the store about 30 minutes before my shift so I can find a parking spot. But once I'm there, Kohl's makes it really fun for us.

The store usually provides Wawa breakfast sandwiches for the early workers, pizza for lunch, and coffee during the day. Even though the days are long and the crowds are overwhelming, we take our regular breaks, and it's nice to have food waiting for us. For each eight-hour shift, we receive two 15-minute breaks without having to clock out, and one 30-minute unpaid meal break.

Working on Black Friday and throughout the holiday season usually means benefits for employees as well. While employees aren't able to reserve some of the limited items and deals, I've been able to get boots for my sons and other higher-stocked items before the store opens.

Kohl's usually gives us an added employee discount around the holidays as well. While our normal employee discount is 15%, Kohl's increases that to 35% several times a year. This year, it's been increased for three different windows during the holiday period. Employees are also allowed to stack coupons, which gives us even more of a discount.

If you work during the holiday season, Kohl's gives you a bonus in your paycheck, which is really great. The bonus has ranged from an added $3 to $4 per hour.

For the past few years, our big draw seems to be anything below $15

During my first few years working for Kohl's, Black Friday shoppers came for the big-ticket items like televisions, hoverboards, and game systems. Now, they seem to focus on anything below $15, such as t-shirts and small toys. I've noticed this while working at the register, and also from times when I'm tasked with restocking.

Additionally, we usually offer more Kohl's cash during the holidays than regular business times. Kohl's cash is earned by shopping at Kohl's. Typically, shoppers can earn $10 in Kohl's cash for every $50 spent, but during the holidays it's periodically raised to $15. Other promotions have included a $10-off coupon for one item, but the coupon has to be used before 2 p.m., so that brings a rush and makes the lines really long.

I really enjoy the Black Friday shoppers who are here more for the experience than for specific deals

Enjoyable shoppers are the ones who show up when we open at 5 a.m., do a little shopping, go out to brunch and have mimosas, then come back for a little more shopping before heading home.

Those people are the experts. They come with lists, they know what they want, and they have experience with successful Black Friday shopping from years' past. For many of them, success is measured by having a fun morning out with their best friend.

Of course, there are always grumpy shoppers or a shopper who's angry that the lines are so long. One time, a man held me personally responsible that he didn't get one of the deeply-discounted televisions on Thanksgiving night, but for every bad story I have there are good ones.

I love seeing people helping each other out. A few years ago, there was a woman in the toy department who grabbed two Hatchimals, a kid's toy, off the shelf immediately, but it turns out she only needed one for herself. She hung around and waited for a person who missed getting one from the shelf and decided to surprise her with the spare Hatchimal, making the other woman's day.

This year, my schedule and section are a bit different

This will be my first year going in at midday instead of first thing in the morning, so I'm looking forward to seeing how that's different from the other years. It's also my first year working at the Sephora section of Kohl's instead of in apparel, so I won't spend the whole day refolding tables full of sweaters. I can't imagine anyone coming in for a color match on Black Friday, but who knows — probably most of the shoppers in my section will be looking for gift sets and fragrances.

At the end of the day, I usually head home exhausted, but I love working Black Friday and seeing all of the people having fun shopping together. I love being a part of their preparations for the holidays.