If shops want you to ‘shop local’…

[Alwayslostthedummy]

Why do they have such prohibitive opening hours?

We need to buy a new fridge/freezer, would prefer to shop local as I hate giving money to Currys etc because of bad experiences. Looking at the shops selling appliances within a 20 mile radius, all are closed on Sundays and a fair few closed Saturdays too!

Its the same in my local high street, there are a couple of nice fancy gifty type shops where I would buy presents/homewards/toys. One is closed all weekend and the other opens for 4 hours on Saturday.

AIBU to think businesses are missing a trick here? I don’t have any data on this but presume in a lot of cases those with spending power work during the week. Is it any wonder retail parks and online shopping is taking over?

@Alwayslostthedummy As the manager of a small shop in a small town - this seems like a logical solution but actually, I’m sure most people would be surprised to hear that the majority of our business comes from weekdays (we are open 7 days a week). Sat/Sun are our most unpredictable days. In my experience, the weekend tends to be when a lot of families head further afield for various days out/activities etc and aren’t necessarily shopping in the local town.

I do agree that people seem to open these businesses for the lifestyle and then moan that it takes work to be profitable.

A local bakery has just posted a rant about how they are closing because people don't buy local bread. Well, they were only open 10-2 in the week, 10-1 Saturday, closed Sundays, and if you went in after 11am they'd sold out of bread. There would be a queue every morning just before 10am because everyone knew they would sell out. But after the 4th or 5th time of going in at 11.30am to an empty counter, I stopped bothering. All woe is me instead of baking more stock.

My local butchers and veg shops would love to open later or longer but the conditions of their lease prohibits it.

They can apply for a different type of trading licence but have said that's quite a process and not cheap.

In my local town there Is plenty of businesses who do this and work hours that are convenient to them.

The problem is your customers don't care what is convenient to you they expect you to be open normal hours, if not they will go elsewhere.

A local cafe to me has just shut for 3 weeks whilst they go on holiday, dangerous game to play as your customers may find other places to buy from.

I am always getting told to buy local but there Is plenty of local businesses who don't deserve my custom.

There was a shop in our local street full of independents that sold lovely dresses, jewellery, shoes etc. I really wanted to have a look in there but it was never open. It didn’t open until 11 and then closed at 3. I once waited around until 11 and it didn’t even open then. It closed eventually to be replaced by a similar store that does open and I have got a number of things from.

Also there Is the instance of bars/pubs saying they are open certain times and then you visit they aren't open.

Don't have opening hours that you don't keep to, your childcare or other issues aren't your customers problem.

Mind you, we live on the continent. Everything, Even the huge supermarkets
are closed on Sundays. All our local stores close at 12pm on a Saturday also. Only large stores like chains are open Saturday afternoon

You also can’t make noise on Sundays like diy tools or mow lawn.

i used to find it annoying as weekends are when we are free, but now I actually like it. It forces you to get out and do something else on Sundays instead of chores or shop

From the attitude of posters on MN you would think that shops should open for the benefit of customers.
😉😁😁.

My parents were shopkeepers in the 70s and 80s and small shops used to close on a weekday and open on Saturdays which made sense.

Yes, I know. I was merely mentioning that in years gone by they were open all day on Saturdays, whereas now the OP says they aren't.

I know. I was there.

Exactly those pesky customers not wanting to to purchase from you that are times convenient to yourself.

In my local town the small businesses that are open at regular hours seen to stay open. Those who chose their own hours seem to shut and bitch about public not supporting them.

I was too. I know that it’s not comparable to today.

Yes it is their choice but they then can't complain if they do not the sales because customers go elsewhere.
Nobody is suggesting they work 24/7 but more customer friendly opening hours would obviously increase trade

Exactly. There is a great cafe near me which is always busy, queues with a half hour wait to be seated on a weekend. They close on a Monday and Tuesday.

Absolutely it's their choice to work the hours to suit their family.

But in the instance of the cafe owners I know, they can't decide to close at 2pm then be furious that the school run parents are using other cafes at 345pm

Or be furious that people are eating breakfast at 1030am on a Saturday morning because they've stopped serving at 10am.

Because they are owned by people and not faceless corporations and those people deserve time off and time with their families.

I don't mean to be rude OP, but surely this is fairly obvious?

It used to be the way that most shops were independently run and we managed then. People built up relationships with their local shopkeepers/butchers/greengrocers etc and they would get their usual orders ready for them and expect to see them at their usual time each week, so it was quick and easy.

I'd much rather than than my usual walk around a miserable soulless Tesco with Karen looking over my shoulder thinking at any moment I'm going to steal the 30p bags and the delicatessen counter all but gone.

And your butchers and green grocers were open regular hours.

You don't get a free pass because you are independent business, if you aren't open people will go elsewhere.

Back in the day the butchers greengrocers etc were open without fail, now they are subject to whims of the owners who when the business fails blame everyone else but theirselves.

There’s a little independent kids clothes shop in the my local town. They’re closed Sunday, Monday and Wednesday. Open 10-2 on a Saturday and 4-5pm on Tuesday and Thursday. I can’t believe they’re still trading!

The high street in my nice market town has tonnes of shops that open and then fail with a few months. I'm a sahm so I try to do my shopping after the school run. Most of the shops I need (card/gift, small toys, children's clothes) aren't open and when they are the products cost more than I can purchase them for online.

If I can get it cheaper and delivered next or same day for free, that's what I'm going to do. If they go out of business then that's on them.

I asked one lady in the children's clothes shop if she would price match as the item cost considerably less from the brand's website and she refused. She ended up selling all the stock for next to nothing and closing down.

The bars, pubs, restaurants, cafes and salons are heaving though.

A lot of the local shops that did this closed. If you ask the owners they’ll tell you they couldn’t get the staff etc - but the truth is they preferred to funnel the money for themselves than pay a decent wage and none of the staff outside the family were even given perm contracts.