I understand where you are coming from but I must say this. I just opened and own an upscale small boutique for women's jewelry and accessories in the wonderful downtown Northampton, MA. I am in Thornes Marketplace where there are other small business shops as well. We all work 12 hours a day as it is. (10-9) plus closing, and from 10-11 we rarely have foot traffic at that time and even more rarely will I have a sale before 12. There is absolutely no way that some small business can do that extra hour in the morning because of the requirements we have to abide to stay open till at night. I do understand this is just in my small city, in my situation, but I had to say something. Also, the economy is not helping. I am wondering where all the shoppers are because it is as if someone stole them all. This season is not looking up for us here in Northampton quite yet...PS I love your blog :)
veganview, thanks for your perspective. I rarely expect small, independently owned shops to be open before 11 am, and I'm not at all put out by that. It's the retail chains that are part of large, marketed shopping centres where other stores are open at 9 - as in my experience with Chapters not being open but the attached Starbucks was open. Seems like larger chains such as Chapters would benefit from that earlier opening this time of year. I know that Winners (Canadian chain, probably our equivalent of Target) began opening at 9 some months back, and now there are always shoppers there at that hour. Your situation as a small business owner is entirely different, and I wouldn't want you (or others in your situation) trying to accommodate that range of hours when you are managing most or all of them. Good grief! But Chapters?!! ;) On to the holidays... I'm wishing you some shopping traffic very soon - maybe it will flip in just another couple of days once the true Christmas rush sets in! Good luck!
5 comments:
So well written. I hope you sent that off to the major retailers.
Reading your to-do list made me dizzy. :-)
Stefania, I feel in a spin most of the time... ;)
I understand where you are coming from but I must say this. I just opened and own an upscale small boutique for women's jewelry and accessories in the wonderful downtown Northampton, MA. I am in Thornes Marketplace where there are other small business shops as well. We all work 12 hours a day as it is. (10-9) plus closing, and from 10-11 we rarely have foot traffic at that time and even more rarely will I have a sale before 12. There is absolutely no way that some small business can do that extra hour in the morning because of the requirements we have to abide to stay open till at night. I do understand this is just in my small city, in my situation, but I had to say something. Also, the economy is not helping. I am wondering where all the shoppers are because it is as if someone stole them all. This season is not looking up for us here in Northampton quite yet...PS I love your blog :)
veganview, thanks for your perspective. I rarely expect small, independently owned shops to be open before 11 am, and I'm not at all put out by that. It's the retail chains that are part of large, marketed shopping centres where other stores are open at 9 - as in my experience with Chapters not being open but the attached Starbucks was open. Seems like larger chains such as Chapters would benefit from that earlier opening this time of year. I know that Winners (Canadian chain, probably our equivalent of Target) began opening at 9 some months back, and now there are always shoppers there at that hour. Your situation as a small business owner is entirely different, and I wouldn't want you (or others in your situation) trying to accommodate that range of hours when you are managing most or all of them. Good grief! But Chapters?!! ;) On to the holidays... I'm wishing you some shopping traffic very soon - maybe it will flip in just another couple of days once the true Christmas rush sets in! Good luck!
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