Fifty-eight percent of those participating in a RetailWire poll in February said retailers would benefit somewhat or a great deal from the move by mall managers to reduce hours of operation.
Now, retailers that operate standalone stores such as Best Buy are also cutting hours and the result is not just good in terms of reducing expenses but it is also, the claim goes, working to improve customer service.
The reason shorter hours work better for customers, the rationale goes, is that it allows retailers to put more workers on the store floor instead of spreading the same number of employees out over a longer period of time.
"Typically after 9 p.m., we generally have more employees than customers in the building," Robert Smith, the general manager of a Best Buy in the North Hills Village shopping center in Ross, PA, told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
According to Mr. Smith, "The customers told us they would rather have more employees here to help them during these busy times than longer hours."
Discussion Questions: Will shorter hours lead to better customer service? If yes, will it be readily apparent to customers?