April 7, 2026
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What Should Retailers Do About Last-Minute Shoppers?
Last-minute shoppers, according to numerous Reddit posts, are the bane of store associates — primarily because they interfere with closing time duties and their quest to go home.
The posts are full of stories of customers coming in from two to 10 minutes before closing, then doing their full grocery shop or browsing long after the official closing. Many also throw fits when they’re told they have to leave.
In one Reddit post entitled, “’We’re closing in five minutes’ is not a courtesy, it’s a warning,” the author notes that he or she is actually telling the customer “to leave immediately because five minutes is not enough time to do anything. It doesn’t matter if you ‘just need one thing’ because neither I nor the store make any more money from a single purchase just before close.”
Another response to the same post stated, ”I work at a grocery store deli and it’s really infuriating when I clean my last meat slicer for the night and get everything cleaned up, and a customer shows up last minute, like literally 2 minutes before closing and gets like 10 sliced items and like 9 salads. Now I’m going to be going into overtime because I have to then go back and clean the mess I had to make.”
Another stated, “We are open 14 hours a day every day. Don’t tell me it’s because you have no choice in time.”
Another response stated, “The ‘I made it just in time’ line pisses me off so much.”
In another Reddit post, a store associate ranted, “People don’t seem to understand that closing means everyone should be leaving, including staff.”
Another Reddit user stated in a third post, “I wouldn’t even dare go to a place if i knew it was closing in less than 30 minutes. How are people so bold and apathetic? Ugh.”
Many responses blamed managers for the last-minute shopper disruption — although one supervisor was vexed that their store has to pay overtime when staff stays late. Some said their stores lock their doors before official closing time to provide time for closing steps.
Academic Research Suggests Retail Staff, Customers at Odds Over Closing Time
A university study led by researchers at the University of Tennessee outlined three problems retailers face in their closing time practices:
- Unclear definition of closing time: Many customers believe the closing time represents the last minute they’re allowed into the store while employees believe closing time is when the doors get locked.
- Inadequate employee training on appropriate closing time practices: Employees consistently admitted training around the multitask closing time duties of tidying up and customer service was lacking. The researchers wrote, “Without training, closing time conduct is left up to past experience, learned behavior, and experimentation.”
- Lack of service level enforcement or checks in place near closing time: Customers often react with “retaliatory, territorial behaviors,” including no longer shopping at stores where they’ve had a bad closing time experience.
The researchers stated, “Most managers believe they do not have a problem regarding closing time. However, many employees and shoppers disagree, as there is confusion to the closing time meaning and incongruent expectations. Stores need to clarify closing times and be consistent with the policies in place.”
BrainTrust
Brad Halverson
Principal, Clearbrand CX
John Lietsch
CEO/Founder, Align Business Consulting
Georganne Bender
Principal, KIZER & BENDER Speaking
Recent Discussions
Discussion Questions
Are closing-time problems fairly common at stores?
What solutions do you see to avoid the stress on associates and disappointment from shoppers being denied entry or kicked out?
Should stores be letting customers stay after closing?
Poll
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There’s nothing worst as an employee than last minute shoppers except for “no shoppers.” My dad would remind me of that when, as a very young ice cream scooper and bank teller, I’d complain about all the last minute customers, especially the last minute paycheck cashers on Fridays at the bank! However, as a bartender in college, the use of “last call” made that conflict irrelevant.
What we have here is a failure to communicate. If business hours are 9 to 5 then a rational person can’t be faulted for believing that 4:59 is still within “business hours.” Maybe what we need is retail’s version of a bar’s last call. We’re open from 9 to 5 and “last call” is 15 minutes prior to closing.
My daughter works in a grocery store and is continually amazed at customers who are rude and pushy. Associates complain about “Karens,” but there are plenty of men who think it’s their prerogative to intimidate the staff. Customers need to start thinking about making friends with store associates instead of annoying them.
Last minute shopping is kind of inevitable. As long as stores are open, people will use whatever time is left. A lot of it comes down to how that last window is managed, like closing service areas earlier (deli counters, service desks, etc.) or tapering down operations before the actual store closes. That helps reduce the strain on staff without fully turning shoppers away
The last question in the poll nailed it: As long as the store is open, it can’t be considered rude.
That’s said, customers can still be a challenge. A simple, friendly reminder: “The store will be closing in 10 minutes, please bring your final selections to the register” goes a long way. It may take a few repetitions, but shoppers can be trained. As Sy Syms always said, “An educated consumer is our best customer.”
The key to managing expectations and outcomes for the compressed closing time is frequent and friendly communication delivered in an accelerated format. 15 minutes prior, customers can come in, but entry doors should be partially closed, include signage or an employee nicely reminding customers of the remaining time. Next a sequence of friendly reminders over the sound system at 10 and 5 minutes prior, and last, at 30 seconds, state “we are now closed”, asking customers to please now bring items to the front checkout. That won’t end in 100% compliance, but everyone was given ample warning.
Yes, there should be store hours with clear opening and closing times. The question any retailer should ask themselves is this: Are we customer-focused or operations-focused?”
If a customer arrives late, inform them that you’re about to close. Ask what you can do to help them. Be customer-focused.
If you ask me what we should do about “late customers,” My answer is, “Welcome them and make a sale!”
Shoppers should be considerate of closing times and it’s perfectly reasonable for retailers to remind them of this, especially if they’re coming for a large shop like a grocery stock-up. However, retailers should really build this into the closing process. If a store closes at 5pm then scheduling staff to work a bit longer to deal with lingerers and close down procedures is sensible.
Closing-time friction is a structural issue in retail, not an occasional problem. It comes from a clear gap in expectations. Customers see closing time as the last moment to enter, while store teams see it as the time to complete transactions and shut down. Without a defined standard, this situation will continue to create stress for associates and frustration for customers.
Retailers need to set clear and consistent rules. Closing time should mean the end of transactions, not the start of shopping. This needs to be reinforced through signage, announcements, and controlled entry near closing hours. Consistency in execution is critical. When expectations are clearly defined and followed, retailers can protect store operations without compromising the customer experience.
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There’s nothing worst as an employee than last minute shoppers except for “no shoppers.” My dad would remind me of that when, as a very young ice cream scooper and bank teller, I’d complain about all the last minute customers, especially the last minute paycheck cashers on Fridays at the bank! However, as a bartender in college, the use of “last call” made that conflict irrelevant.
What we have here is a failure to communicate. If business hours are 9 to 5 then a rational person can’t be faulted for believing that 4:59 is still within “business hours.” Maybe what we need is retail’s version of a bar’s last call. We’re open from 9 to 5 and “last call” is 15 minutes prior to closing.
My daughter works in a grocery store and is continually amazed at customers who are rude and pushy. Associates complain about “Karens,” but there are plenty of men who think it’s their prerogative to intimidate the staff. Customers need to start thinking about making friends with store associates instead of annoying them.
Last minute shopping is kind of inevitable. As long as stores are open, people will use whatever time is left. A lot of it comes down to how that last window is managed, like closing service areas earlier (deli counters, service desks, etc.) or tapering down operations before the actual store closes. That helps reduce the strain on staff without fully turning shoppers away
The last question in the poll nailed it: As long as the store is open, it can’t be considered rude.
That’s said, customers can still be a challenge. A simple, friendly reminder: “The store will be closing in 10 minutes, please bring your final selections to the register” goes a long way. It may take a few repetitions, but shoppers can be trained. As Sy Syms always said, “An educated consumer is our best customer.”
The key to managing expectations and outcomes for the compressed closing time is frequent and friendly communication delivered in an accelerated format. 15 minutes prior, customers can come in, but entry doors should be partially closed, include signage or an employee nicely reminding customers of the remaining time. Next a sequence of friendly reminders over the sound system at 10 and 5 minutes prior, and last, at 30 seconds, state “we are now closed”, asking customers to please now bring items to the front checkout. That won’t end in 100% compliance, but everyone was given ample warning.
Yes, there should be store hours with clear opening and closing times. The question any retailer should ask themselves is this: Are we customer-focused or operations-focused?”
If a customer arrives late, inform them that you’re about to close. Ask what you can do to help them. Be customer-focused.
If you ask me what we should do about “late customers,” My answer is, “Welcome them and make a sale!”
Shoppers should be considerate of closing times and it’s perfectly reasonable for retailers to remind them of this, especially if they’re coming for a large shop like a grocery stock-up. However, retailers should really build this into the closing process. If a store closes at 5pm then scheduling staff to work a bit longer to deal with lingerers and close down procedures is sensible.
Closing-time friction is a structural issue in retail, not an occasional problem. It comes from a clear gap in expectations. Customers see closing time as the last moment to enter, while store teams see it as the time to complete transactions and shut down. Without a defined standard, this situation will continue to create stress for associates and frustration for customers.
Retailers need to set clear and consistent rules. Closing time should mean the end of transactions, not the start of shopping. This needs to be reinforced through signage, announcements, and controlled entry near closing hours. Consistency in execution is critical. When expectations are clearly defined and followed, retailers can protect store operations without compromising the customer experience.