The areas designated by the store management for demonstrations may be cold or drafty. On occasion, Demonstrators work outside in a plaza or from a truck that is parked at a temporary site. Most Demonstrators stand on their feet for long hours and work under fluorescent lights. They may sometimes get cuts or minor burns. The work can get boring during slow shopping periods.
Customers can be rude or mean at times.
Demonstrators working for a specific product line or in a department or specialty store are expected to dress well and be neatly groomed. Food Demonstrators working in grocery stores that are under union contract must join the Retail Clerks Union within 30 days of being hired. The California Projections of Employment, published by the Labor Market Information Division of the Employment Development Department, estimates that the number of Demonstrators in California will reach 18,740 by 2005, an increase in new jobs of 6,300 over the number there was in 1993. There will also be an estimated 6,290 job openings due to people retiring or leaving the occupation. Added to the 6,300 new jobs expected, this makes for an estimated total of 12,590 job opportunities through 2005.