in thinking that if Clarks closes at 5.30...

[Amanderrr]

at 5.23 the doors shouldn't be locked?

Went to Richmond today for a mooch around the shops. DS3 (4yrs) kept complaining about his feet hurting so we headed over to Clarks. We wouldn't have taken long as I know his size and width and just wanted the brown version of the black pair we bought last week.

Got to the doors and they were locked. There was a customer inside still trying on shoes and staff milling around. Had a look at my watch and it was just after 5.20. Looked at the opening times and they should have been open until 5.30. Asked DP what the time was in case my watch was wrong and he said it was about 5.23.

This is happening more and more. In the last couple of weeks alone Boots wouldn't let me in with five minutes until they officially closed. Office the shoe shop was shut before the time stated. The security guard in Zara, which was due to close at 7pm, was telling me at 6.50 that the shop was now closed and could I head to the tills. I looked over and there was a long queue so it didn't really matter whether I carried on shopping or not and M&S turned most of the lights off after saying over the loud speaker that the store would be closing in ten minutes.

I know in the grand scheme of things this should just be a slight irritation but today just brought it to a head when I couldn't get a change of shoes for DS3 when I really needed them.

Am I alone in finding this frustrating and would it worth emailing the stores when this happens?

I'd like to quickly interject here actually to ask...where is the OP?

I wonder if she's waiting for the dying moments of the thread in order to pipe up and ask for our opinion on a million things?....

If someone comes in at 5.20 and hasn't got anything to buy in their hand by 5.30, they should be made to leave."

It is no way that easy.
It is easier to decide that as the average customer spends 10 minutes browsing before buying, then you should close doors 10 minutes before closing the store.

When I worked in a shop there were times when I had to almost shove people out the door ten minutes after closing. It's amazing how oblivious people can be.

I can see both sides. when I worked in retail one time the manager was bringing down the metal shutters 2 minutes before closing time to stop anyone else from entering. The shutters were half way down-no problem, then as all the customers left and manager began closing shutters to the floor some dickhead decided to do an army type assault manouever and roll under the shutters. Unfortunately he got trapped under the closing shutter and hurt himself. very lengthy legal battle ensued resulting in the retailer having to pay compensation to the said dickhead for injuries.
Result- shop doors closed and locked 10 minutes before closing every day to prevent the same every happening again.
On the flip side going into Next at 11.30am Christmas Eve and being prevented from buying anything in the children's section as they were preparing for the sales that start Boxing Day utterly ridiculous.

muminthemiddle Seen the army assault roll under the shutters so many times, it's ridiculous that the idiot got compensation.

It is easier to decide that as the average customer spends 10 minutes browsing before buying, then you should close doors 10 minutes before closing the store.

That is fair enough BUT stores should have on the door that the last one in is 5.20pm to close at 5.30pm. They shouldn't write close is 5.30pm if in fact you can't enter the store after 5.20pm iyswim. That's my only argument.

It is nearly midnight and this thread is now closing. Please take your postings elsewhere.[hwink]