Teenagers/College kids closing Tysons Corner Center stores 30-60 minutes early on Fri-Sat nights?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m glad someone posted about this because it’s a peeve. I keep encountering stores that usually close at 7 or 8 closing 30-60 minutes early in a regular basis. If I’m trying to shop after work and on the night when my kids don’t have an activity or I don’t have evening work commitments, it can be almost impossible or take weeks of hit-or-miss attempts. There are plenty of things that aren’t easily ordered online or offer free in-store returns but expensive return shipping. I miss the pre-Covid hours.

We were recently in a part of Asia with a huge mall culture and stores were open until 9:30-10:00 pm even on weekend nights. It was more convenient to go to *another continent* for my usual cosmetics stock-up and the kids’ back-to-school shopping than to go to my walkable-from-home, massive outdoor shopping center in the US.

Stores in Asia open later than in the US. Many parts of Asia, stores close in the afternoon at siesta time and then reopen in the evening.

I think you should just buy online.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m glad someone posted about this because it’s a peeve. I keep encountering stores that usually close at 7 or 8 closing 30-60 minutes early in a regular basis. If I’m trying to shop after work and on the night when my kids don’t have an activity or I don’t have evening work commitments, it can be almost impossible or take weeks of hit-or-miss attempts. There are plenty of things that aren’t easily ordered online or offer free in-store returns but expensive return shipping. I miss the pre-Covid hours.

We were recently in a part of Asia with a huge mall culture and stores were open until 9:30-10:00 pm even on weekend nights. It was more convenient to go to *another continent* for my usual cosmetics stock-up and the kids’ back-to-school shopping than to go to my walkable-from-home, massive outdoor shopping center in the US.

There’s a lot of drama in this post.

Seriously. If only poor, pitiful, put-upon PP had access to this magical place called The Internet, where shopping is open 24/7.

You cannot try clothes on online.

And yet millions of people manage to buy clothes online anyway. Insert childish laughing emoji here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m glad someone posted about this because it’s a peeve. I keep encountering stores that usually close at 7 or 8 closing 30-60 minutes early in a regular basis. If I’m trying to shop after work and on the night when my kids don’t have an activity or I don’t have evening work commitments, it can be almost impossible or take weeks of hit-or-miss attempts. There are plenty of things that aren’t easily ordered online or offer free in-store returns but expensive return shipping. I miss the pre-Covid hours.

We were recently in a part of Asia with a huge mall culture and stores were open until 9:30-10:00 pm even on weekend nights. It was more convenient to go to *another continent* for my usual cosmetics stock-up and the kids’ back-to-school shopping than to go to my walkable-from-home, massive outdoor shopping center in the US.

There’s a lot of drama in this post.

Seriously. If only poor, pitiful, put-upon PP had access to this magical place called The Internet, where shopping is open 24/7.

You cannot try clothes on online.

But the pp mentioned difficulty buying cosmetics and school supplies, both of which are easily ordered online.

[Anonymous]

Not all employees are allowed to close the store (typically must be a manager). Closing is more than just locking the doors. Due to a lack of employees/availability, some store are having to close early.

[Anonymous]

I also notice, at a different local mall, a lot of stores don't open at mall opening time. They open at noon. I really think this is a staffing thing and the mall management has no recourse or leverage to demand mall hours. But I agree it is annoying.

[Anonymous]

I’ve worked retail and employees don’t go home when the doors lock. We stayed until everything was folded, hung up, put away and the store was ready to open the next day. At the stores I worked at this could take hours depending on the day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m glad someone posted about this because it’s a peeve. I keep encountering stores that usually close at 7 or 8 closing 30-60 minutes early in a regular basis. If I’m trying to shop after work and on the night when my kids don’t have an activity or I don’t have evening work commitments, it can be almost impossible or take weeks of hit-or-miss attempts. There are plenty of things that aren’t easily ordered online or offer free in-store returns but expensive return shipping. I miss the pre-Covid hours.

We were recently in a part of Asia with a huge mall culture and stores were open until 9:30-10:00 pm even on weekend nights. It was more convenient to go to *another continent* for my usual cosmetics stock-up and the kids’ back-to-school shopping than to go to my walkable-from-home, massive outdoor shopping center in the US.

There’s a lot of drama in this post.

+1 Jeez, relax!

[Anonymous]

It might be that kids want to go to other things, or it might also be that the labor shortage means those kids have been working 10 hours and just...need to stop. Why don't you just adjust your perception of the hours to an hour earlier?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There's work to do after closing the doors to customers, like tidying and restocking. I have noticed a lot of stores now start that work 30 minutes prior so they can actually walk out at closing time; they do not want to be ringing up a line of people at closing time, they want to be gone.

It's not just mall stores or those with teen employees.

Then they should close earlier. I don't want to run errands and find the store that I planned on visiting has closed early. It is not my problem.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There's work to do after closing the doors to customers, like tidying and restocking. I have noticed a lot of stores now start that work 30 minutes prior so they can actually walk out at closing time; they do not want to be ringing up a line of people at closing time, they want to be gone.

It's not just mall stores or those with teen employees.

Then they should close earlier. I don't want to run errands and find the store that I planned on visiting has closed early. It is not my problem.

In case you live under a rock, demand for malls and mall stores is shrinking. Many people just go there to make returns, which is probably what you were doing too which is why you are annoyed. Just go earlier next time. Or don’t order from that store again. Problem solved.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m glad someone posted about this because it’s a peeve. I keep encountering stores that usually close at 7 or 8 closing 30-60 minutes early in a regular basis. If I’m trying to shop after work and on the night when my kids don’t have an activity or I don’t have evening work commitments, it can be almost impossible or take weeks of hit-or-miss attempts. There are plenty of things that aren’t easily ordered online or offer free in-store returns but expensive return shipping. I miss the pre-Covid hours.

We were recently in a part of Asia with a huge mall culture and stores were open until 9:30-10:00 pm even on weekend nights. It was more convenient to go to *another continent* for my usual cosmetics stock-up and the kids’ back-to-school shopping than to go to my walkable-from-home, massive outdoor shopping center in the US.

If you and OP are both peeved about this: Has either of you complained to the store management? Or just vented here?

The latter does nothing to change anything. The former at least is an effort to call out the store and let it know that paying customers walked away from their closed doors.

It's sad that the OP and others here leap to the assumption that the problem is "teenagers/college kids" selfishly closing stores to run out to have their fun. What a low opinion some here have of teens/young adults' work ethic. I know quite a few college age kids with retail jobs and they are conscientious employees who wouldn't do anything as stupid as shut early to run off and play. It's very insulting to tar a whole age bracket with the brush of "they're just lazy party kids," which...is what OP's post does.

Plus: Both PP above and OP seem blissfully unaware that getting retail workers right now is extremely difficult. Not just a little bit hard. Immensely difficult. It's been that way for a while and likely to be that way for a long while to come. Read some coverage of U.S. business, folks. It's inconvenient for shoppers but believe me, retail store owners and managers would LOVE to stay open all hours and be fully staffed so there's someone there to take your returns you ordered online and let you try on clothes etc. They would much rather be open. But until you can magically create a workforce, you have to suck it up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The shooting there caused a drop in business. People are afraid of that kind of trouble.

I knew the metrorail station would eventually bring in trouble makers.

The shooter drove.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There's work to do after closing the doors to customers, like tidying and restocking. I have noticed a lot of stores now start that work 30 minutes prior so they can actually walk out at closing time; they do not want to be ringing up a line of people at closing time, they want to be gone.

It's not just mall stores or those with teen employees.

Then they should close earlier. I don't want to run errands and find the store that I planned on visiting has closed early. It is not my problem.

Not the person you're responding to, but: If you know this might happen, why don't you either look online or phone the store and ask about hours before you go? Yes, I'm sure there are websites where they have not updated their hours after altering them. But if this is a consistent issue where you shop, well, either check first or shop elsewhere. I know..."It's not my problem." Well, the lack of workers has made it a problem to you, so either cope by adjusting and check their hours, or go elsewhere. Vote with your feet. Rather than continuing to be frustrated and whining about it.

[Anonymous]

Shoe train has started closing off the list an hour or so before they actually close and take their last fitting at 30 min before they close. So employees can leave at the time of closing. If you want to be seen for a fitting that means you need to be signed in 90 min before they close.

[Anonymous]

Starbucks (not just in the mall) is doing this and they have posted revised hours on their doors. This is a nation wide issue, not a Tysons Teen issue.