Question about business hours

[SumpinSpecial]

For those of you who have a business with some kind of walk-in clientelle, I want to ask your experience with business hours. I read somewhere on Reddit a complaint about small local businesses that are only open something like 8-5 and then complain about not having enough customers. The complainer commented that if they were open later, or open during evening hours, then they could patronize the store after work.

Has anyone here used evening hours? What were the average sales during those hours compared to the 8-5ish hours? Also, knowing that it can be a bit hard to staff a long day, has anyone tried having hours that were ONLY afternoon/evening and weekends?

[Harold Mansfield]

I don't have a store but I do have some insight here.

It depends.

You have to look at your specific situation and location and determine if you're possibly missing business after 5. Are other businesses in your immediate area open after 5? What about the business next door? Are they open later than 5?

Most retail businesses make all their money after 5 and on weekends. That's when most people aren't at work. You can't be in retail and have bankers hours. Even the post office is open later than 5, and for a reason.

IMO the only reason to close at 5 p.m. is if your entire clientele is other business people in the area who all go home before 5. If they get off at 5 and you're also closing at 5..well you can see how you could be shooting yourself in the foot.

If you're dealing with the general public and expect foot traffic, you cannot close at the same time that most people are just getting off of work. Especially on Friday when most people get paid and have money to spend with you.

But once you're known for always being closed, it's tough to get people to come back again.

[tallen]

If the long day is a problem, open later! In my town there are a number of businesses who are open in the evenings, but don't open until 10:00 in the morning. I personally can find it frustrating because I am a morning person, but I understand it.

[Harold Mansfield]

I agree. If I was in retail I'd rather be open 11-8 or 9, than 9-5.