Open on Thursdays

Eva worked in a bookshop that closed before some customers could arrive after work. She suggested opening for two extra hours on Thursdays. Her manager agreed to a four-week trial, and Eva offered to work the late shift. They wanted to see if the idea helped the shop before they made a permanent change.

After four weeks, Thursday sales were higher. Eva made a chart and wrote a plan to keep the new hours. Then her colleague Paul asked about the extra costs. The shop had to pay for more working hours and electricity. Her chart only showed the money customers spent.

They checked the costs together. The shop made a little more money from the evening opening, but less than Eva expected. Some customers also bought books on Thursday instead of Saturday. That meant a busier Thursday did not always mean more sales for the whole week.

Eva changed her plan. She suggested another short trial. “Let’s check the money after costs for the whole week,” she said. “We can ask evening customers about other times for their visits.” Staff could choose their hours. Working late was not a rule for everyone.

The manager accepted the new trial. Eva was a little sad because she wanted a clear yes for her first idea. However, the new plan was more useful. Paul said that finding out what worked was better than winning an argument.