Retail Opening Hours: How 8 Independent Shops Decide When to Open

The Resilient Retail Game Plan - retail insights, retail trends and best practices

Retail strategist Catherine Erdely explores the complex decision-making process behind setting opening hours for independent shops. Through

Key takeaways

• Consistency is a primary driver of customer trust; customers value knowing exactly when a shop will be open.
• Retailers should observe the 'rhythm of their town' to align hours with local shopping patterns and market days.

Main topics

• Retail opening hours
• Customer reliability

Notable quotes

Consistency is key.

Conclusion

The episode concludes that the best opening hours are those that are c

Transcript preview

Speaker 1 (0:00) This episode is brought to you by Capify. There are two sides to a loan application, the credit score and the story behind it. At Capify, they look beyond just the numbers. They look at the business owner chasing invoices, paying wages, managing cash flow and planning the next job. And because every application is reviewed by a real person, they can take the time to understand your business. So if you're a limited company, it's worth applying even if your credit history isn't perfect. Speaker 1 (0:34) the right opening hours for your shop and what should you be using to even make that decision. Welcome to the Resilient Retail Game Plan. I'm Catherine Erdely and this podcast is here to share retail industry trends, insights and best practices for you, the retailer who's serious about building something that lasts. Speaker 1 (0:53) Earlier this year, I visited the beautiful Scottish border towns of Jedburgh and Kelso as part of my A to Z of independent retail. And I made a very London-centric mistake. I went to visit them on a Sunday. And I quickly realised that this was not the best idea because between the two towns, I only found one independent shop open. The cafes were open, the chains were open, but the vast majority of independent shops weren't. When I shared the reel on Instagram, it sparked a really interesting discussion. Should independent shops be open on Sundays? Is it worth opening if there isn't enough footfall? Do customers expect shops to be open seven days a week now? And how on earth do you decide? It was such an interesting discussion that a few weeks later, I put up another post simply asking shopkeepers how they decide their opening hours. There were loads of discussion and what struck me was how different everyone's answers were. So rather than me telling you what I think the answer is, I wanted to hear from the people actually making these decisions every single week. I asked eight shopkeepers to share how they decide when to open. And I think that what their answers show is that there isn't a perfect set of opening hours. What works for a busy city shop won't necessarily work in a small market town. What works for one retailer financially or personally won't work for another. But there were some very clear themes that came through and that's what I'm going to be sharing with you today. Speaker 1 (2:24) The first theme that almost everybody mentioned was that consistency is key. Jo Johnson runs Form SE15, a clothing shop in South East London. She's open Tuesday to Thursday, 9.30 to 5, Friday to Saturday, 10 till 6 and Sunday, 11 till 4. Their customer feedback suggests that knowing when a shop is going to be open is really important. Speaker 5 (2:48) I'm Speaker 1 (2:49) stuck Speaker 5 (2:49) to those hours. most of the past eight years, I would say. Most customers don't seem to like it if you don't stick to regular opening hours. I think that was a major bit of feedback that I've had that it really helps for them to know that it's reliable, that you are open at a specific time, closed at a specific time. So yeah, we try and stick to those hours just because I think it's reliability, people knowing where you are when you're open and consistency seems to be key, I think. Speaker 1 (3:31) Consistency is key, but it doesn't necessarily mean being open seven days a week. That's the really important distinction here. You can hear completely different approaches from successful shopkeepers. Some believe very strongly in being available as much as possible. Others have deliberately chosen fewer days. The question isn't necessarily how many hours should I be open? It's what are the right hours for my business, my customers and my location? And that's what... theme two is all about. It's about following the rhythm of your town. Emma Paisley runs Daisy Park in Devon. They're open Monday to Friday 9.30 to 5, Saturday 9.30 to 4 and Sunday they are closed. Our opening Speaker 5 (4:14) hours evolve from getting to know our customers and the rhythm of the town over the years. Being in a small market town, I think it's important to respond to how people actually shop rather than feeling that longer hours are automatically better. Wednesday is quite interesting in South Malton because traditionally some shops close for half day, but we've always chosen to stay open. And actually we tend to find Wednesdays work well for us because there are fewer shops open in the afternoon. I think one of the biggest things I've learned is there isn't really a one size fit all answer when it comes to opening hours. What works in a city or maybe a larger town isn't necessarily going to be right for a small market town like ours. Speaker 1 (4:51) I really