STORE OPERATION HOUR & STAFF SCHEDULING

• Setting store hours is one of the most fundamental decisions retailer make. VTA provides the information to adjust staffing level and operation hours to match customer flow.
• Retailers need to understand traffic volume by hour, day of the week. The are several factors that retailers should consider when setting or refining store hours.
• Customer feedback
  Get the customers to describe their behaviors relative to shopping visit in store which can get a sense of what they find convenient is advisible.
• Competitive pressure
  List the key competitors and document on the store hours for each of them. Determine top three competitors store hours and consider whether need to extending operation hour based on survey.
• Seasonality, Holidays and special Events
  Seasonality is another way to characterize the peaks and valleys of the business cycle. E.g. Mother's Day is one of the busiest time, back-to-school represents an important season for many kinds of retailer. Retailers have come to expect a change in store hour during holidays whether these are extended hours or reduced hours. Special events also driven to represent another circumstance where retailers may modify store hour.
  
• Figure above shown that traffic volumes and pattern can vary by day. Sunday's traffic volume strong but dropping off through the middle of the week after Sunday and ramping up starts on Thursday and peaking on Saturday.
• Hourly traffic pattern fall into three catagories: Front-end loaded, Normal distribution and back-end loaded.
  
• Front-end loaded traffic pattern: traffic volumes are highest at the early part of the day and decreaseas the day progresses. Figure above shown traffic peaks between 9 am to 1 pm and flat from 2 pm until closing.
• Retailers need to have enough staff at opening and through early the early morning hours when traffic is at its highest.
  
• Normal distribution traffic pattern: traffic volumes start low at opening, peak traffic volumes usually occur between 12 pm until 2 pm and between 6 pm 8 pm which during lunch hour and dinner time.
• Retailes have to arrange more staff in store between 12 pm to 2 pm and 6 pm to 8 pm.
  
• Back-end loaded traffic pattern: traffic volumes lowest at opening and ramps up throughtout the day.
• Make sure staffing levels are adequate during last 3 operating hours.