Do You Really Need to Be ‘Open’ 6 Days a Week? 🤔

By Lee Alexander

This week I heard something that made me stop and think.

Norman’s Rare Guitars one of the most iconic guitar retailers in the world is now open just three days a week: Tuesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, 11:30am to 5pm.

Not because they’re struggling. Because that’s what works for them.

In a world where many MI retailers still feel pressure to be open five, six or even seven days a week just to “keep up,” this got me thinking: 

Do physical guitar/musical instrument shops need to be open all the time anymore?

In an era where buyer behaviour has shifted and physical footfall isn’t what it once was, maybe it’s time we challenge the assumption that "more hours = more sales."

🧱 The Traditional Model: Built for a Different Era

For decades, MI retailers have followed a familiar rhythm: open all week, wait for footfall, make sales(the vast majority of them used to be on a Saturday) The logic was simple, being open meant being available. Longer hours meant more opportunities to sell.

But today, that logic is looking increasingly shaky.

• Footfall isn’t what it used to be, especially in non-high street locations.

• An ever growing chunk of sales now comes through online marketplaces, web shops, and social channels and this will only continue to grow.

• Customer expectations are shifting. Today’s buyer will happily schedule a private appointment, send a DM, or browse a live video demo instead of wandering in on a cold and windy Tuesday afternoon.

Yet many stores still hold onto the old model out of habit, not strategy.

🕰️ What Are You Really Getting From Being Open All Week?

Let’s talk about cost versus value.

Being open 6 days a week means:

• Staffing the shop constantly (or doing it yourself)

• Paying for utilities during quiet hours

• Spending time on low-value walk-ins or "tyre kickers"

• Losing time you could be spending on growth-driving work

• Minimal time with friends and family

What if just one of those “open” days were spent differently?

You could:

• Update and improve your online listings (on reSound of course!)

• Create better photo/video content

• Research new gear and negotiate supplier terms

• Engage with customers on social media

• Launch email campaigns and social ads

• Review suppliers and margins

• Place your restocking orders for JET Guitars, Spira and Flight

• Plan better in-store experiences for high-intent buyers

• Record demos or walkthroughs for YouTube or Instagram

• Plan better promotions and customer communications

• Record a Podcast

• Build a real content strategy that drives interest 24/7

These are the things that build your business long-term—but often get pushed aside because you’re stuck behind the counter while Big Tom tells you his ‘I was the original bass player in U2’ story for the 38th time before buying his usual three Dunlop picks.

I’d argue that in many cases, working with the doors closed might be more valuable than waiting behind the counter.

👥 But What About the Customer Experience?

Here’s the key: fewer open hours doesn’t have to mean less customer service. It means smarter customer service.

Think about:

• Appointment-only hours for serious buyers

• Late opening, targeting customers who can’t visit during the day

• Private preview nights for loyal customers or VIPs

• Live-streamed demos or Q&A sessions—selling to many without opening the door

Being physically open isn’t the same as being available. Today’s buyer often prefers flexibility, responsiveness, and digital convenience over traditional shop hours.

📍 Location Still Plays a Role

Of course, this won’t apply to everyone equally.

• High street locations may still rely heavily on walk-in traffic, and being closed during peak times could mean missed opportunities.

• But destination stores, warehouse setups, or out-of-town locations? These don’t rely on passers-by. Their customers are intentional. They’re coming for a reason and they’ll often book ahead or message first.

For those retailers, reducing hours could actually sharpen the customer experience.

You serve people when it matters, not when it’s convenient for the shop.

🎯 The Norman’s Example: Strategy Over Tradition

Let’s go back to Norman’s Rare Guitars. They’re now open three days a week, just over five hours each day which has changed from the 5 days a week they used to when I last visited. It seems to me they’ve realised that there’s a lot can be done with the doors locked.

On days Normans isn’t physically open you better believe they’re not sitting still.

They’re:

• Recording content for YouTube (with hundreds of thousands of followers)

• Working with artists and collectors

• Sourcing incredible gear

• Updating their online listings

• Answering questions via email and social media

• Shipping out orders

• Managing a business with global reach

• And most importantly reordering T Shirts

Their shop isn’t just a retail space it’s an iconic HQ. The limited open hours give them time to create value beyond the walls.

🔄 It’s Not About Hours—It’s About Intent

This isn’t about shutting the doors and disappearing. It’s about using your time more strategically.

Ask yourself:

• Are your current hours based on customer data or habit?

• Is the extra day open actually driving revenue or just wearing you down?

• Could fewer open days lead to more focused, higher-quality customer interactions?

• What could you build digitally, operationally, strategically with one extra free day each week?

We’re long past the point where being open and putting in the hours equals success. The MI retailers who are thriving today are doing it by thinking differently.

💬 Final Thought

We often talk about how the industry needs to evolve but too often, we forget that evolution includes our own schedules and not just doing things because that's how we've always done it.

If you had one extra day a week to work on the business instead of just in it what would you do?

That’s the space Norman’s has created.

That’s the opportunity you might be missing.

Maybe it’s time we all reconsider what “open for business” really means...