Further to my post ten days ago about a business closing to give the owner a break, I noticed at the weekend a cafe with this sign in the window. The cafe was closed for the wedding of the owner’s daughter.
On reflection, small independent retailer businesses should not close for a holiday or to attend a family wedding.
When we open our businesses we do so to serve the community. We want them to rely on us. One way we do this is through consistent behaviour. Breaking that consistency even for a special family engagement tells locals they are not as important. Whether we like it or not, plenty of shoppers will thing they are more important that us. Indeed, if we run the ideal busyness that’s how it will be.
Closing gives people an opportunity to try elsewhere. It invites them to do this.
No matter what the cost or challenge small and independent retailers need to remain open.
daughter wedding yes I would .Maybe not the whole day but definantly half . Yes staff could run it but our staff are close to us so they would be invited .
Didn’t read the whole notice , I would only close for the day not for 2 weeks . If it was a case that you would have to travel then staff would have to do the job
We closed for a half a day for our son’s wedding.
We had signs up for a month telling customers that we would be closed and the 2 Saturdays before informing customer that we would be closed.
Most customer came in early that Saturday had very little effect on sales.
I agree on half a day for a family run business but two weeks?…
Two weeks ahaha!!!!!
Disagree on this one, telling family you can’t attend a wedding is telling them your customers are more important. Our lives are built around our family and weddings are pretty special events.
In our case we would have staff to cover but for those who don’t, yes shut for a day, if you upset a few customers well then you upset a few customers.
Your regular customers get to know you and your family pretty well, I am sure the majority of them would be happy for you, just give them plenty of notice.
As for shutting for such a long period I think a newsagent would be mad to but I don’t see why other retailers can’t close for a week or two in their quieter time.
Work life balance is important.
Our son just got married in USA this weekend. We chose not to go because of cost. We can leave staff for a couple of days but would have had to bring in relieving Newsagents and we could not afford that plus the cost of trip. A café can close but not a newsagency. What they provide can be obtained elsewhere. We have a restaurant here closing for a week to go to his daughter’s wedding . The town will just accept it and go back to him when he comes back.