9 Steps To Set The Best Retail Store Hours

Retail store hours indicate the specific times when a retail business is open to the public for shopping.

These hours usually consist of defined opening and closing times each day, which may change depending on the day of the week, the season, or special events.

For instance, a store might operate from 9:00 am to 7:00 pm on weekdays, with different hours for weekends or holidays.

Retail store hours are established to inform customers about when they can visit, and they assist businesses in managing staffing, inventory, and overall operational efficiency.

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The best hours for a retail store can vary based on several factors, such as the type of business, customer demographics, and location.

Generally, peak hours for retail tend to be in the late morning and early afternoon, usually between 4 pm and 6 pm. These times attract after-work customers which helps increase foot traffic. 

Stores that serve busy professionals or families might find it beneficial to open earlier, while those located in entertainment districts or malls may experience more visitors in the evening, particularly on weekends.

Additionally, it’s crucial to take into account local trends, holidays, and online shopping behaviors, as these can influence when customers are most likely to shop.

Retailers often modify their hours based on these insights to enhance sales and improve customer satisfaction.

In retail, every hour counts when it comes to return on investment (ROI). 

The way to increase your profits is by being open during the times when you can earn the most and closing when the expenses start to exceed the income.

However, finding the right balance isn’t simple, there’s no exact method to know the best hours for sales. What works for one store may not work for another, and even in the same place, things can change over time. 

That’s why deciding the right hours for your retail store needs some planning, trying different approaches, and careful observation.

In this guide, we’ll help you figure out your perfect store hours, when to stay open, and when to close for the day.

Your customers are key to your success. Understanding when they shop is important for setting the right business hours.

Start by asking yourself:

• Who are my customers?
• What are their daily habits?
• Are they shopping for fun or out of necessity?

For example: If you sell luxury brand items, customers might shop on weekends or late evenings after work. On the other hand, a store selling everyday items might need to open early to serve busy customers.

To better understand your customers:

• Use surveys to find out what they prefer to shop.
• Look at your sales data to see when business is busiest.
• Check how many people visit your area at different times.

The more you know about your customers, the easier it is to set hours that benefit both them and your business.

White Black Simple Customer Satisfaction Survey A4 Document

This part is about understanding the numbers. Data tells the truth, and knowing when your store has the most visitors can help you make better choices.

• If you have an online store, use website data to see when customers visit or buy so you can adjust hours in your offline store. If you only have an offline store, pay attention when it gets most crowded.

Example: Let’s say your store gets busy from 9 am to 11 am and again around 5 pm. You can use this information to schedule staff accordingly and even plan special deals during those times to increase sales.

Retail naturally has times when sales go up and down, mostly because of the holiday season, school breaks, and special events. 

These changes can be good or bad for business, and every store needs to handle them well. Knowing when your store is busy and changing your hours to match can help you sell more and run your business better.

How to adapt:

• Stay open longer during busy times: When people are shopping a lot, like on Black Friday or Christmas, keep your store open later or start earlier to get more customers. Many people shop at odd times, so being open when they’re shopping can bring in more customers.
• Open for fewer hours during slow times: When business is slower, like after the holidays in January or during the summer, shorten your hours to save money on staff while still being there for customers. This helps you use your resources better and makes your business more efficient.

Example: A store that sells Christmas-themed clothes might stay open later in the days before the holiday, closing at 6 pm to help last-minute shoppers. But after the holiday season, they might close earlier in January, at 5 pm instead of 8 pm, to reduce staff costs. 

By changing hours to meet customer needs, your store can stay successful and avoid extra costs.

Technology has changed how retail stores handle their daily tasks, including setting and changing their opening hours. Instead of guessing, store owners can use advanced tools that monitor sales, understand customer habits, and manage staff schedules.

These tools make the process simpler and help businesses run smoothly, matching what customers need.

Must-have tools:

• Google My Business: Keeping your business hours current on Google Business Profile makes sure customers can find your retail store’s location easily and see the correct times you’ve opened. This is very important for customer convenience, especially when they check your hours before visiting. If you change your hours for holidays, weekends, or special events, make sure to update them on this platform.
• POS systems: Point-of-sale (POS) systems give you detailed information about your sales, showing how much you sell each day and even at different times of the day. This helps you see when your store is busiest, so you can adjust your opening hours to match the times when most people come and buy things. It also helps you spot slow times, so you can change your staff schedule to work better.
• Social media tool: Tools like Buffer or Hootsuite let you schedule and automatically share updates about your store hours on all your social media accounts. Plus, using these tools can help you plan promotions and announcements ahead of time, making your holiday or seasonal sales strategy more organized and efficient.

Knowing when your competitors are open can give you an advantage. If most stores in your area close at 8 pm, staying open until 9 pm can bring in customers who shop late.

If you’re in a busy area, matching their hours might be good. But if you’re in a smaller market, opening or closing a bit earlier or later could help you attract more customers.

Tip: Don’t just follow your competitors’ hours blindly. Look at their hours, but also consider what makes your business special. 

Being reliable helps people trust you. Customers should know when you’re open without any doubts. Frequent changes in your hours can make them unsure and damage your reputation. 

Ideas for keeping consistent: 

• Try to follow a regular schedule as much as you can.
• Make sure your hours are updated everywhere, like on your website, Google, and social media.
• Use clear signs at your store to prevent any confusion.

Your team is the backbone of your retail business, and how you plan their work hours can affect your store’s success. Overworking employees or failing to create a fair, balanced schedule can lead to burnout, lower morale, and a drop in retail customer service quality. 

On the other hand, a well-thought-out schedule keeps your team motivated, ensures peak performance, and can even help reduce turnover rates.

Things to keep in mind:

• Maximize coverage during busy times: Plan to have enough staff on weekends or holidays when there are more customers, so they get good service.
• Switch up tasks: Keep employees from getting tired by moving them around to do different jobs like working the cash register, restocking shelves, and helping customers.
• Think about employee schedules and preferences: While focusing on business needs, also consider your employees’ availability to create a fair and flexible work environment.
• Balance shifts fairly: Make sure no employee always gets the same shift to keep things fair.

Surprises can occur, like bad weather, staff not showing up, or local power outages. Having a plan helps your business keep going smoothly.

What to do:

• Quickly share any changes to your hours on social media.
• Teach your staff how to manage sudden closures and delays.
• Make a list of extra employees you can call if someone can’t come in.

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Not all retail businesses have the same store hours, so it’s important to try different times to see what works best for your customers.

How to test:

• Try new hours: Let people know about any changes, like longer or shorter hours, for a month to see how it affects how many people come and how much you sell.
• Monitor sales trends: Pay close attention to whether the new hours lead to an increase in sales or just result in higher operational costs.
• Ask for feedback: Ask your customers what they think by using surveys in the store or polls on social media. Their thoughts can help you understand if the changes are good for them or if you need to make more changes.

By using this kind of information to make decisions, you can adjust your store hours to work better and make customers happier.

Your store hours may seem like a minor detail, but they greatly affect your business. By matching your hours with customer routines, improving your operations, and being flexible, you can create a schedule that benefits everyone.

Use these tips and notice how much better your business operates. Find your ideal hours, stick to them, and watch your store succeed!