The Swedish furniture giant turned the clock without fuss: since the beginning of October, the furniture store in Haid has only been open at 9.30 am. Energy costs play a role in this.
Fussl boss Ernst Mayr recently dared to attack the “hot topic” by revealing that fashion retailer Innviertler has already shortened opening hours in half of its branches in Germany and is now also scrutinizing and making adjustments to all branches in Austria.
While the “greats” had brushed off the idea of even thinking about this, the Donautreff shopping center in Ottensheim took a radical step and now closes an hour earlier Monday through Friday. IKEA in Haid has now also scaled back the offer without fuss: instead of opening the doors of the furniture store at 9 am as last time, it has only been open at 9:30 since 1 October.
Closing time since the pandemic at 8pm
Shops have been closed earlier anyway since the pandemic: now 20:00 applies here, with the exception of the Klagenfurt location. “That has proven its worth,” said spokesman Uwe Blümel. The shortened hour in the evening is also more pleasant for the employees, they say.
Why did the Swedish furniture giant now decide to open Haid later? Blümel says the decision was made for “efficiency reasons”, including with regard to energy costs. “We do visitor flow analysis and have seen that the first half hour is not that popular.”
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
