I can't say I give a **** (although I'm often rolling up just before closing, so I'll have to adjust. But the business and brand strategy behind this move is very interesting, and most people are completely missing the point.
... I am reading replies in this thread from many, many people that have never worked in retail, let alone managed. Its easy to be cynical about HFs motives, but there is no doubt in my mind the employees are happy to be closing an hour earlier.
Agreed. This is mostly a move to improve employee morale. One hour less in a day will make little to no difference to the company's sales or even to the employee paychecks, but it does make a big difference to the employees, It gives HF a powerful recruiting advantage when all the other mall employees see the HF people heading home an hour before they can.
It's very, very difficult to control turnover in retail. As the first to make this move and make it public, they just gave themselves a big advantage. Turnover and meathead employees cost a lot, so they will make and save a ton of money if they can attract better people.
... I think it says a lot that there is a big thread here devoted to telling each other what is and is not worth buying there. This doesn't give me a lot of confidence that I can make a purchase and be happy with it.
Agreed. From a business strategy standpoint, that's the biggest problem with HF and a few similar retailers -- it's half great stuff and half dogshit, so you have to research each and every purchase. (A few years ago it was almost all dogshit, so you have to admit that only half dogshit is significant progress.)
That said, it's also something they're working VERY hard to fix, and we've seen some fantastic, very high-quality tools become available. They're definitely taking greater control over quality.
I suspect in five years or so, you'll be able to walk into HF and just grab what you need with every expectation it'll work just fine. Hell, they'll probably even figure out how to get that Chinese grease smell out of the air.
Combining high perceived and actual quality and low cost in one brand is an extremely difficult balancing act, but my guess (again, purely from a business strategy standpoint) is that's exactly where they're heading.
As far as the sappy letter, yeah, I think they took it a little too far sawing at the heartstrings with the "more time with their families/save the children" pitch. (What about more time for drinking and wanking?) They should have included instructions to read the letter while munching on apple pie and humming "God Bless America".
But, although the letter was over the top glurge, the main point is true -- they really are closing earlier to make their employees happier, and they want everyone to know about it.
But it's not just out of the goodness of anyone's heart. There are very solid business reasons for it. They're not worried about you and me -- they're thinking about that bright young assistant manager over at Best Buy. She's got an hour or two to go, and is watching the HF store across the lot go dark and the employees trickle out to their cars...
