Club shop

[Joe DiMaggio]

When is the shop open this week? Came down from Invergordon today and it's shut. The Saturday before Christmas! That's money the club has missed out on as I won't be back in again before Thursday.

[+Fraz]

Opening hours are on the ICTFC website.

[WYNESS101]

Monday 15th – Wednesday 17th December 9am 5.30pm Thursday 18th December 9am 8pm Friday 19th December 9am 5.30pm Saturday 20th December CLOSED Sunday 21st December CLOSED       Monday 22nd December – Wednesday 24th December 9am 5.30pm Christmas Day CLOSED Boxing Day 9am 5.30pm Saturday 27th December 9am 1pm Sunday 28th December 9am Kick Off      

Monday 29th December

Last chance for Ross County tickets

9am 5.30pm Tuesday 30th December CLOSED Wednesday 31st December CLOSED Thursday 1st January CLOSED Friday 2nd January 9am 5.30pm Saturday 3rd January CLOSED Sunday 4th January 9am Kick Off

[DALNEIGHCALEY]

The last Saturday before Christmas and the club shop isn't open !!

[Joe DiMaggio]

Those times on the website are wrong. I was there at 12.45 and it was shut as were the main doors. I hung about for 15 minutes to see if anyone was about

[CaleyD]

Joe...as per the times on the website, the shop was shut on Saturday.

http://ictfc.com/news/club-news/1433-festive-period-opening-hours

Whether it should or shouldn't have been is a different discussion, but the info was/is there and was publicised.

[Joe DiMaggio]

Read that post wrong.

I didn't check the website as I wouldn't even have imagined the club shop would be shut the last Saturday before Christmas. What I was going to buy I'm just not going to bother anymore as I'm not making another trip to Inverness. So it's the clubs loss.

[Huisdean]

I think the opening hours need to be reviewed and publicised better nrxt year. I am sure if that had been done, the shop might have done quite a bit of business. Alternatively, as they have sometimes done before, could they have taken a stall in the Eastgate Centre which was mobbed on Saturday and attracted some passing trade. Not having a go at the club but something to think about for next year perhaps?.

[DALNEIGHCALEY]

I find it unbelievable that any retailer would be closed on the last Saturday before Christmas , amateur doesn't begin to cover it .

[CaleyD]

I think the opening hours need to be reviewed and publicised better nrxt year. I am sure if that had been done, the shop might have done quite a bit of business. Alternatively, as they have sometimes done before, could they have taken a stall in the Eastgate Centre which was mobbed on Saturday and attracted some passing trade. Not having a go at the club but something to think about for next year perhaps?.

 

These decisions are not made on a whim and the club do publicise opening hours (festive hours have been out there since start of December).  They also look at sales from previous seasons and which days are busy on the lead up to Xmas...then around that they decide which days they can/will open....baring in mind that there's a very small number of staff and their time off also has to be factored in.

 

Having looked at all the information and the resource available, the decision was made to close over the weekend and open the 3 days this week (including Xmas Eve) instead, as historic information on sales showed these days tend to be busier/more profitable.

 

Getting a stall in the Eastgate the weekend before Xmas is near impossible (and a lot more expensive) compared to other times, which is why the club had their stall up there a week last Friday....and did a healthy trade.

 

Whilst any "lost" sale is unfortunate, it's just not practical to cater for every scenario or the needs of every individual.  Had the shop opened on Saturday and closed Xmas Eve instead then it would have probably meant someone else missing out....or likely more people based on historic sales patterns.

 

The "should have publicised it better" point is one that does irk me a little.  The majority of people who complain are those who haven't seen the published information...and as Joe has highlighted above, those who haven't even bothered to look for themselves.  The club does more to publicise information these days than it ever did...I know this because it used to be one of my biggest announces and something I personally work on at the club.  If there's anything that's likely to send me on a wee foot stamping rant around the stadium it's when there's a failure to communicate something properly to the fans....thankfully it doesn't happen too often these days.

 

My post is not there to defend, or otherwise, the clubs decision to close on Saturday....merely, in the spirit of good communication, to explain the reason for it. Some people will agree, some will disagree and a few will just see opportunity to call me a Happy Clapper or (my new personal favourite) a Caley Thistle Rent Boy!