Why aren't these places open?

[Phoenix84]

I finally got a release date set for my new job, so that's good. Now I'm just waiting for relocation assistance (if any).

Anyway, I currently have my phone paid for through work. Obviously once I leave this job, that won't be the case anymore.

I figure I'll get a pre paid cell phone for my use while I travel and get set up in a new location.

So I went to the AT&T store, and find out they're closed, at 9:30 on weekday.   They don't open until 10:00.

Then I went to best buy, and they were closed until 10:00 too.

Why the heck aren't these places open at least during normal business hours on a weekday?  I can understand not opening at the ass crack of dawn, but you'd think they'd at least be open during formal business hours.

Just doesn't make any sense.  I think they're losing business by opening so late.

[zibazinski]

No kidding. I like to start my day early. But, nope, places don't open til 10. 

[Chocolate Lover]

Are they open later, to compensate for opening late? IIRC my T-Mobile store is open until 9PM. 

[andi9899]

Go to Walmart. They open early and close late if they aren't a store that's open 24 hours.

[Phoenix84]

Oct 2, 2014 11:38:08 GMT -5 Chocolate Lover said:

Are they open later, to compensate for opening late? IIRC my T-Mobile store is open until 9PM. 

I think they're open until 8 or something like that.

Just seems so weird that that they wouldn't be open by 9:00. Most people are at work and have started their day by 9.

[NoNamePerson]

I think it depends. One close to me opens at 9 but one in the mall opens at 10. Don't know when the others open since we have a lot of AT&T stores.

Maybe they just open when the other stores around them are normally open.

[Peace77]

You may want to check a coverage area map before you buy a new cell phone. You'll want to make sure you have good cell coverage in you new area, the maps are on each cell phone company's website.

[raeoflyte]

Oct 2, 2014 12:07:33 GMT -5 Phoenix84 said:

Oct 2, 2014 11:38:08 GMT -5 Chocolate Lover said:

Are they open later, to compensate for opening late? IIRC my T-Mobile store is open until 9PM. 

I think they're open until 8 or something like that.

Just seems so weird that that they wouldn't be open by 9:00. Most people are at work and have started their day by 9.

I think this is why though.  Unless you're a walmart type store, are you really going to make enough sales by the one or two people who are in before 10am during the week?  Most people are working, and even the ones who aren't, there isn't usually a reason that you HAVE to get to best buy early in the morning.  They make a lot more per employee in the evenings when the working masses are out trying to fit in everything they wish they could have been doing during the day.   

[dannylion]

Phoenix, you can buy a Tracphone at Target and buy minutes there, too (on cards you activate online). I think Target opens earlier than other places.

[tskeeter]

Part of the reason many stores aren't open by 8 is that the customer flow doesn't justify staffing a store earlier.  Now, if you wanted to buy auto parts, a donut, or coffee, they usually open sometime between 6 and 8.  The other part of the late opening equation is staffing and overtime requirements.  A 10 AM opening time started because it allows the store to be open until 6 or 7 PM without paying overtime, or requiring a second shift of sales people.  Staying open after many people are off work allowed people to shop in the early evening.  Since stores have started staying open later over the past few decades, they now need a second, short shift of staff.  But, opening time practices haven't changed.  

[Phoenix84]

When I worked at Menards (basically a home depot) we opened really early, like at 6:00 or something, in order to get the business of those contractors who started early. When I worked for an office supply store, we opened at 8:00. Both of those stores also closed later than AT&T and Best Buy, at 10:00.

I guess I don't see how Office Max can have such longer hours than Best Buy. Walmart is usually a 24/7 operation and Target has long, but does close.

Though I had issues with Target too, I burned myself and needed a new pot holder. Target was closed and it wasn't that late, just after 9:00.

[tskeeter]

Oct 2, 2014 16:29:38 GMT -5 Phoenix84 said:

When I worked at Menards (basically a home depot) we opened really early, like at 6:00 or something, in order to get the business of those contractors who started early. When I worked for an office supply store, we opened at 8:00. Both of those stores also closed later than AT&T and Best Buy, at 10:00.

I guess I don't see how Office Max can have such longer hours than Best Buy. Walmart is usually a 24/7 operation and Target has long, but does close.

Though I had issues with Target too, I burned myself and needed a new pot holder. Target was closed and it wasn't that late, just after 9:00.

Phoenix, you've got to consider the customer base.  Teenagers seem to be the biggest consumers of electronics.  For most teenagers, willingly getting out of bed before 10 AM would be considered getting up in the middle of the night.

And, you've got to consider that you have carried a cell phone for several years and this appears to be the first time that you've tried to buy electronics at 8 AM.  It doesn't sound like it's worth staffing a store for the one time every five years you want to buy something early in the morning.  Yeah, there is someone else who wants electronics at 8 AM.  But, even the purchases both of you make won't justify the wages of the folks required to open up a store two hours earlier.

Now, if you're really bummed about the store hours, you could try living in a small town.  That doesn't have a phone store or a Best Buy.  Those would be about 125 miles from the town that I went to high school in.  No mall.  Just one clothing store, one women's wear store and two grocery stores in the entire county.  Even the restaurants close down at 8 PM.  But, you can get a warmed up frozen pizza at the bar.  They're open til 1.

[Bonny]

Oct 2, 2014 13:23:35 GMT -5 Peace77 said:

You may want to check a coverage area map before you buy a new cell phone. You'll want to make sure you have good cell coverage in you new area, the maps are on each cell phone company's website.

Also investigate Ting service and the phones they sell. Everything is over the internet but pretty quick.

ETA: When is your release date?

[achelois]

I think the stores do it to mess with our minds.

[toomuchreality]

Why the heck aren't these places open at least during normal business hours on a weekday? I can understand not opening at the ass crack of dawn, but you'd think they'd at least be open during formal business hours.

Sounds to me like you DO want them open at the ass crack of dawn. IMO anything before 3pm is too dang early! 

[Phoenix84]

Oct 2, 2014 18:17:51 GMT -5 Bonny said:

Oct 2, 2014 13:23:35 GMT -5 Peace77 said:

You may want to check a coverage area map before you buy a new cell phone. You'll want to make sure you have good cell coverage in you new area, the maps are on each cell phone company's website.

Also investigate Ting service and the phones they sell. Everything is over the internet but pretty quick.

ETA: When is your release date?

October 18.

So I'll officially start work the following Monday, the 20.

What remains to be seen is the relocation arrangements. I'll imagine they'll give me at least some time to drive from Colorado to Virginia. At a minimum, that's a three day trip.  So we'll see how much "work time" they'll let me use for travel time.

If they don't offer it, I'll ask for at least three business days to drive out there.

[Phoenix84]

Oct 2, 2014 17:32:49 GMT -5 tskeeter said:

Oct 2, 2014 16:29:38 GMT -5 Phoenix84 said:

When I worked at Menards (basically a home depot) we opened really early, like at 6:00 or something, in order to get the business of those contractors who started early. When I worked for an office supply store, we opened at 8:00. Both of those stores also closed later than AT&T and Best Buy, at 10:00.

I guess I don't see how Office Max can have such longer hours than Best Buy. Walmart is usually a 24/7 operation and Target has long, but does close.

Though I had issues with Target too, I burned myself and needed a new pot holder. Target was closed and it wasn't that late, just after 9:00.

Phoenix, you've got to consider the customer base.  Teenagers seem to be the biggest consumers of electronics.  For most teenagers, willingly getting out of bed before 10 AM would be considered getting up in the middle of the night.

And, you've got to consider that you have carried a cell phone for several years and this appears to be the first time that you've tried to buy electronics at 8 AM.  It doesn't sound like it's worth staffing a store for the one time every five years you want to buy something early in the morning.  Yeah, there is someone else who wants electronics at 8 AM.  But, even the purchases both of you make won't justify the wages of the folks required to open up a store two hours earlier.

Now, if you're really bummed about the store hours, you could try living in a small town.  That doesn't have a phone store or a Best Buy.  Those would be about 125 miles from the town that I went to high school in.  No mall.  Just one clothing store, one women's wear store and two grocery stores in the entire county.  Even the restaurants close down at 8 PM.  But, you can get a warmed up frozen pizza at the bar.  They're open til 1.

Well, it wasn't 8:00, it was more like 9:30 a.m.

Anyway, I got the point, it could always be worse.

[Deleted]

Oct 2, 2014 22:11:27 GMT -5 Phoenix84 said:

Oct 2, 2014 18:17:51 GMT -5 Bonny said:

Also investigate Ting service and the phones they sell. Everything is over the internet but pretty quick.

ETA: When is your release date?

October 18.

So I'll officially start work the following Monday, the 20.

What remains to be seen is the relocation arrangements. I'll imagine they'll give me at least some time to drive from Colorado to Virginia. At a minimum, that's a three day trip.  So we'll see how much "work time" they'll let me use for travel time.

If they don't offer it, I'll ask for at least three business days to drive out there.

what part of Virginia?  if you absolutely positively must be there, you could hire a service to drive your car and you could fly out.

[Opti]

Oct 2, 2014 11:06:00 GMT -5 Phoenix84 said:

I finally got a release date set for my new job, so that's good. Now I'm just waiting for relocation assistance (if any).

Anyway, I currently have my phone paid for through work. Obviously once I leave this job, that won't be the case anymore.

I figure I'll get a pre paid cell phone for my use while I travel and get set up in a new location.

So I went to the AT&T store, and find out they're closed, at 9:30 on weekday.   They don't open until 10:00.

Then I went to best buy, and they were closed until 10:00 too.

Why the heck aren't these places open at least during normal business hours on a weekday?  I can understand not opening at the ass crack of dawn, but you'd think they'd at least be open during formal business hours.

Just doesn't make any sense.  I think they're losing business by opening so late.

Given most retailers do this except grocery stores, you are probably incorrect

about the business losing aspect.

Have you ever worked retail, like FT retail? Depending on the store and time of year,

the workers arrive between 9AM and 9:30AM for store open at 10AM like at a mall.

If they were open say from 6AM to 10PM, its a tougher staffing issue than say

10AM to 9PM.

When those extra hours make sense, Macy's for example does staff for them.

I think you should work FT retail to get an idea of how a good portion of

America's workforce actually lives. JM PITA opinion.

(I worked it one year, you learn things you wouldn't think of, like how the

bus schedule might impact people arriving to their retail mall jobs and going home.)

[Opti]

Oct 2, 2014 12:07:33 GMT -5 Phoenix84 said:

Oct 2, 2014 11:38:08 GMT -5 Chocolate Lover said:

Are they open later, to compensate for opening late? IIRC my T-Mobile store is open until 9PM. 

I think they're open until 8 or something like that.

Just seems so weird that that they wouldn't be open by 9:00. Most people are at work and have started their day by 9.ore

I have a feeling as professionals, we are actually wrong about what the average

work day is. Retail is king as to number and percentage of jobs for people employed.

A huge swath of non-grocery retail store hours start at 10AM.

[973beachbum]

Oct 3, 2014 6:06:07 GMT -5 Opti said:

Oct 2, 2014 12:07:33 GMT -5 Phoenix84 said:

I think they're open until 8 or something like that.

Just seems so weird that that they wouldn't be open by 9:00. Most people are at work and have started their day by 9.ore

I have a feeling as professionals, we are actually wrong about what the average

work day is. Retail is king as to number and percentage of jobs for people employed.

A huge swath of non-grocery retail store hours start at 10AM.

For the record I can now tell you that with the exception of Sat and Sun and maybe Fri in a tourist area during the high season, almost no one is grocery shopping at 8 am either.

The only reason a GC is open at 7, is because someone has to bake the bread and put out the stuff for people to buy later.  So they have the office crew there early with them, and they can do their office work, and ring the odd person who walks in to buy a banana and a paper once every half hour.

Trust me if they didn't already have to be there too do those other things they wouldn't be open then either.

[Phoenix84]

Oct 3, 2014 5:58:52 GMT -5 Opti said:

Oct 2, 2014 11:06:00 GMT -5 Phoenix84 said:

I finally got a release date set for my new job, so that's good. Now I'm just waiting for relocation assistance (if any).

Anyway, I currently have my phone paid for through work. Obviously once I leave this job, that won't be the case anymore.

I figure I'll get a pre paid cell phone for my use while I travel and get set up in a new location.

So I went to the AT&T store, and find out they're closed, at 9:30 on weekday.   They don't open until 10:00.

Then I went to best buy, and they were closed until 10:00 too.

Why the heck aren't these places open at least during normal business hours on a weekday?  I can understand not opening at the ass crack of dawn, but you'd think they'd at least be open during formal business hours.

Just doesn't make any sense.  I think they're losing business by opening so late.

Given most retailers do this except grocery stores, you are probably incorrect

about the business losing aspect.

Have you ever worked retail, like FT retail? Depending on the store and time of year,

the workers arrive between 9AM and 9:30AM for store open at 10AM like at a mall.

If they were open say from 6AM to 10PM, its a tougher staffing issue than say

10AM to 9PM.

When those extra hours make sense, Macy's for example does staff for them.

I think you should work FT retail to get an idea of how a good portion of

America's workforce actually lives. JM PITA opinion.

(I worked it one year, you learn things you wouldn't think of, like how the

bus schedule might impact people arriving to their retail mall jobs and going home.)

Yes, I have worked retail, as I said earlier in the thread.

I worked for Menards all throughout high school.  If you don't know, Menards is basically a Home Depot chain in the Midwest.

I also worked for Office Max full time during the summer and early fall after graduating college.

The hours I worked there varied, but I would often work a 3:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. shift or a 4:00 a.m. to noon shift.  I'd stock shelves until the store opened at 8:00 then man the sales floor or a register.

Because I sucked at stocking shelves, after a few months of that, they moved me to the sales floor, usually in the evenings, and we'd close at 10:00.

As I said, when I worked retail in both places, our store was open earlier than 9:00 and closed later than 9:00, except for maybe Sunday.

[Phoenix84]

All the grocery stores in my area are open 24/7.

[Deleted]

Try moving to rural America where nothing is open past 6pm, and everything is closed on the weekends except WalMart...

I have had times where I needed PVC pipe to fix a broken one, and there is NO ONE who sells it until Monday...

I have often wondered why WalMart doesn't sell PVC pipe and fittings, because they would do a boom market here in my area.  

As for the phone, buy a StraightTalk one from WalMart. Great option, IMHO. You buy a card every month to reload the phone.  Reasonable price and works great!

[973beachbum]

Oct 3, 2014 9:20:24 GMT -5 Phoenix84 said:

All the grocery stores in my area are open 24/7.

They tried that for a little while here and all they got with drug addicts and thieves coming in after midnight.  I will say that home depot type places are open early like by 6 am type of thing.  They cater to people who are going to do things like build something either for themselves or others.  by definition, those are people who will get to the hardware store early.  The vast majority of us though manage to go our whole lives without ever wanting to grocery shop at 3am.

[Phoenix84]

I have grocery shopped after midnight before.  You should try it sometime.

It can be kind of annoying though, because they have all the pallets out that they're going to stock, which block the aisles.

[Phoenix84]

Oct 3, 2014 5:41:12 GMT -5 @singlemominmd said:

Oct 2, 2014 22:11:27 GMT -5 Phoenix84 said:

October 18.

So I'll officially start work the following Monday, the 20.

What remains to be seen is the relocation arrangements. I'll imagine they'll give me at least some time to drive from Colorado to Virginia. At a minimum, that's a three day trip.  So we'll see how much "work time" they'll let me use for travel time.

If they don't offer it, I'll ask for at least three business days to drive out there.

what part of Virginia?  if you absolutely positively must be there, you could hire a service to drive your car and you could fly out.

Hard to describe. It's about 15 minutes north of Newport News and 45 minutes north/northwest of Virginia beach. The towns close by are small, but the closest one is Williamsberg.

[Anne_in_VA]

Oooh Phoenix - you're in my neck of the woods (so to speak). Let me know when you get here if you need anything and I'll be happy to help you out.  PM me if you want to connect.  I lived in Hampton for a few years near Langley, but that was quite a few years ago and I know that area has changed quite a bit since I lived there. 

PM me if you want to connect once you arrive - I don't drive, but we can figure something out.

If you're going to be at Eustis, then I know exactly where you are - my brother was stationed there for a time.

[Tennesseer]

Phoenix84 - I am surprised a relocation package (if any) was not mentioned at the time the written (and final) job offer was extended to you. In fact, I would have asked about relocation assistance at the time of my initial interview.

Hopefully, they will offer something to you, especially since you currently live more than 500 miles away from your new job. Moving your personal vehicle for you from where you are now to Va. (along with household goods) would be great, though you might have to provide for your own rental car until it arrives. .

[toomuchreality]

Oct 3, 2014 10:00:06 GMT -5 Phoenix84 said:

I have grocery shopped after midnight before.  You should try it sometime.

It can be kind of annoying though, because they have all the pallets out that they're going to stock, which block the aisles.

I love shopping after midnight. It works for me. Although I have to agree about having to dodge pallets of food. But it's still my preferred time to shop, if I don't need to go to customer service.

Best of luck to you on your new venture, Phoenix!