The answer to your issue has to come down to money...

The pay rate is the same for permanent and freelance positions, but the hours that you work/the money you bring home is not.

With a freelance position you are able to work the hours you want (by accepting or declining a shift when they offer it to you). During the Holiday season you will be getting a lot of hours, but after New Year's it drops off to almost nothing....I went 2 months without a call last year.

With a permanent position you have guarenteed minimum hours that you will be working. And a counter isn't really all that bad, but after you've been there a while (6 months) you can post for any other positions that open up and possibly transfer to a store.

Sooo....if you do not have another source of income, the permanent counter position is your best bet at stability, but if you have the means and want it, go ahead and take the freelance job.

__________________
"Dorks die when bullets hit them. Dorks cry real tears"~Kathleen Hanna