Service. Selection. Price. Important retail guidelines, yes—but it turns out the hours your store is open may have the biggest impact on your sales. With competition heating up for all retailers—especially independents—now is the time to take a fresh look at your store hours.
(Before you say you can’t afford to be open any more hours, keep reading. You might find you can’t afford to stay closed!)
Sunday Hours
“When I first opened my store, I was closed every Sunday,” commented a Midwest retailer. “I thought being open from 10-6, Tuesday through Saturday was enough. After all, I wanted to have my time too.” Yet, as soon as her store started making enough money for her to hire an employee, she acted on a whim and opened the store on Sunday.
“That was two years ago,” she shared. “And I’ve been open every Sunday since! I’ve found I make more money in four hours on Sunday than I do all day on any given weekday.” This retailer is open from 12-4 on Sunday, just in time to attract shoppers on their way home from church.
Customers voiced their appreciation. “It turned out many couldn’t make it to the store on Saturday, in between kids’ activities, running errands and family obligations,” the retailer revealed. “Sunday was the day they could leave the kids with dad and take a few hours to shop.”
Trisha, one such customer, comments: “I tend to frequent stores that are open on Sundays—a great local store here is closed on Sundays and Mondays, which I know is great for the employees, but causes me as a customer to put them on the bottom of my list for shopping.”
Scrappers Plead: “Please Be Open in the Evenings!”
What’s next for our enterprising retailer? “I plan to extend my store hours during the week too, in order to catch customers on their way home from work,” she says. “It’s not just stay-at-home moms who scrapbook anymore—lots of my weekend customers work when my store is open during the week. I don’t want to lose them to a chain store, so I’ll start staying open until 7:00 on weeknights.”
In a recent consumer poll, scrapbookers invariably listed evenings and weekends as the most convenient time to head to the scrapbook store. In most cases, evening hours are the difference between stopping for a specific item and shopping. Marilyn, an avid scrapper, says: “In the evenings I might stop in to buy a specific item, but I would not have time to browse around.”
Many of your customers are working women. Many also have families. In between these two responsibilities, your customer is having a tough time getting to your store to shop. Sure, she may make it in to pick up some Hermafix or cardstock, but she doesn’t have time to browse, ask for information or ideas, relax and get inspired—all the competitive advantages independent retailers have.
How late should you stay open on a weeknight? The most common hours for scrapbook stores across the country are 10am-6pm. Most scrappers wish the store remained open just a few hours later. “I wish more stores would stay open until 7 or 8 p.m.,” comments Rachel. “Even though I get off work at 4:00, rushing to a store across town that closes at 6 p.m. just frustrates me—lots of traffic, then not enough time to actually shop.”
The solution? Keep your hours competitive. If the other stores in your area are open 10-5:00, stay open until 6:00. Another solution? Stay open one or two late nights, where you stay open until at least 8:00, preferably 9:00.
“We are open in the evenings,” comments an Oregon retailer. “During the week we close at 8:00pm. On Saturdays we close at 6:00pm. On Sundays our hours are 11:00 to 5:00pm. This has been the best arrangement we’ve tried so far—as we have more flexibility with employees, we can afford to stay open longer. Of course, the more we’re open, the more customers we get!”
Have Regular Hours
Scrappers also shared frustration with stores that held irregular or “mystery” hours. Don’t make your customers guess when you’ll be open!
“In the past few weeks, I’ve tried to shop at a certain store three different times,” says Kerry. “The store was closed at such odd hours: 2:00 on Tuesday, 11:00am on Thursday and 3:00 on Saturday. And there wasn’t a sign on the door to tell me when they were open!”
Marilyn had a similar experience. “People don't expect a store to be closed on Tuesdays or Thursdays,” she says. “Or to close at 3:00 PM on Wednesdays. If a store doesn’t open until noon on Tuesdays, I will tend to avoid it ANY morning because I can never remember which day of the week it opens late.”
Post your hours. Print them on your business cards, include them on your web site, your store newsletter, flyers, handouts—and of course, right on your front door.
Where Do Your Customers Go When You’re Closed?
Think they head off to the local craft chain? Surprisingly, the answer is no. Instead, they turn to another independent scrapbook store.
“If I needed (okay, wanted) a particular item I will go to wherever I think is open and is closest to me,” says Marilyn.
“If my favorite store is closed, I go find one that’s open,” says Darlene. “I don't like chain stores and on-line shopping isn't time effective. In my area it isn't hard to find a store open when you need something.”
“We're lucky in this area because there are so many shops -- so when my favorite store is closed, there's usually another place I can go. I rarely shop at the chains. STRONGLY support local scrapbook stores because the people there are usually passionately interested in scrapping,” Trisha comments.
“We have so many stores in the area that if my first choice isn't open I try the next one!” says Sandy.
Fickle? You bet—but you have the power to gain these consumers as customers in your store, by being open to suit their shopping schedules.
How to Make the Most of Your Store Hours
Going to make your move and extend your store hours? One tip: Be sure your customers know about it! Announce it in your store newsletter, advertisements, bag stuffers, son your web site and on store signage. Once you make arrangements to have the store open, you want to make sure it’s also full!
