BH Photo Video religious holidays closing schedule?

[Marius Boruch]

BH is closed 22 days a year for religious holidays not to mention 52 Saturdays and 52 Fridays when they work only to 1PM. Twice a year they close for a whole week!!! (See below their schedule); Isn't that ridiculous...????

B&H SuperStore Holiday Schedule 2009
New Year's Day Thursday, January 1 Open 10am - 5pm
Purim Eve Monday, March 9 Close at 6:00
Purim Tuesday, March 10 Closed
Passover Eve Wednesday, April 8 Closed
Passover Thursday, April 9 thru Thursday, April 16 Closed
Memorial Day Monday, May 25 Open 9am - 7pm
Shavuos Eve Thursday, May 28 Close at 2:00
Shavuos Friday, May 29 Closed
Tisha B`Av Eve Wednesday, July 29 Close at 5:00
Tisha B`Av Thursday, July 30 Closed
Labor Day Monday, September 7 Open 10am - 7pm
Rosh Hashana Eve Friday, September 18 Close at 1:00
Rosh Hashana Sunday, September 20 Closed
Yom Kippur Eve Sunday, September 27 Closed
Yom Kippur Monday, September 28 Closed
Succos Eve Friday, October 2 Close at 1:00
Succos Sunday, October 4 thru Sunday, October 11 Closed
Thanksgiving Thursday, November 26 Open 10am - 6pm
Christmas Friday, December 25 Closed

[Richard Alvarez]

You ask "Isn't that ridiculous?" - No, it's not.

[Marius Boruch]

so let's ask if that's fair to their loyal customers to close the store (twice) for one week; I hope you will never had situation when you are filming and need something overnight and you just find out that "your" store is closed for A WEEK!!! that's my point; it has nothing to do with religious issues but rather with business wise approach;

[Dave Blackhurst]

It's not ridiculous if you're orthodox Jewish (I'm not, but I respect their right to be!). In New York, I believe many things shut down around the Jewish holidays, that includes much of the financial markets from my experience (OK, they stay open, but on autopilot...).

Every business has the right (or at least SHOULD have the right) to determine their own practices, consistent with their being able to make a profit and live their lives as they see fit.

If you don't like it, then you've got other choices. B&H was thoughtful enough to post their schedules so you can plan ahead or be patient. This IS America after all... you have choices, they have choices... it's all good.

[Nicholas de Kock]

Plan in advance and you won't find yourself is that predicament. I don't see why we should work our lives away, we only live once, a few holidays is welcomed. This rat race is the problem.

[Vito DeFilippo]

Fair? What's that got to do with it? If they want to open 1 day a year, and it works, who are we to complain?

It's obvious that their business model is working for them. And if they lose some sales because they're closed for religious reasons, that's their choice.

[Chris Hurd]

B&H makes no secret of their holiday schedule: B&H Photo Video Hours of Operation

One of the reasons why I like B&H so much is because they have their priorities straight: faith and family first; business afterward. Perhaps what's even more important is that they have the right to establish their business hours as they see fit. They could stay open around the clock, every day of the year if they wanted to -- but the point is that the choice is theirs to make.

That's not "ridiculous," that's Freedom.

[Marius Boruch]

my point was that it wouldn't be so hard to create a few people "task force" ( consisted of non orthodox Jews) who would work during that weeklong time taking only let's say internet, emergency orders (meaning orders with paid overnight delivery) why - for the benefit of us - their loyal customers.

[Harrison Murchison]

Point taken. BHphoto is pretty successful doing things the way they have. In the end a few more days of Holiday is better than the "profits over everything" that have dominated American business and caused the need for billions in bailouts.

I'll continue to use BHPhoto and deal with their Holiday schedule. Their service is good and prices are good. That will keep my loyal above how many days a year they are open.

[Richard Alvarez]

Marius, you seem to be upset because their schedule did not 'fit' yours. They are considerate of their customers - they post their schedule in advance for all the world to see.

I can't count the number of times I've shown up at a store, and it wasn't open. The hours were posted plain as day in the window, or on the door. It is not the 'fault' of the store that I arrived early or late. My schedule is my responsibility.

You have choices. There are other companies you can choose to purchase from. I too, have been caught in the holiday schedule, and just had to go somewhere else.

How does the old saying go -"A lack of planning on your part, does not constitiute an emergency for me..."

Only you can decide for yourself if your strategy for planning workflow is working well for you. No one here can decide that for you. Emergencies arise - we all have to deal with that.

BH has made their choice, accomodated their customers, and seems to be quite successfull with their choice of strategies for meeting their needs.

[Henry Posner]

Originally Posted by Marius Boruch

BH is closed 22 days a year for religious holidays not to mention 52 Saturdays and 52 Fridays when they work only to 1PM. Twice a year they close for a whole week!!! (See below their schedule); Isn't that ridiculous...????

Let's start with, NO! It's not ridiculous. Then I feel obliged to mention we're open on Fridays to 2:00pm during Daylight Saving Time.

Perhaps it would have been more wise for you to have asked why we adopt this schedule knowing (as is obvious) that it represents an inconvenience to some. While I am not particularly observant, it's been explained to me that our owner, a courtly and very orthodox Hasidic gentleman, has elected to place his fealty to his Deity above the last dime of profit he can squeeze.

Rules for Sabbath observation (which extend to many of the "major" holidays) include a proscription against him or his enterprise engaging in commerce. That's why we don't have a skeleton crew of non-Jews here during those days. It's prohibited.

Sabbath and holidays all begin sundown the evening before the day of the holiday, hence our early closing Fridays. Most holidays are one or two day events, like Rosh HaShannah and Yom Kippur. Two are week-long holidays. In both cases, the first two and last two days of the holiday are "major" days with Sabbath-like rules of observation and the intermediate days are "minor" days during which more activity is permitted unless the intermediate day happens to be a Saturday.

B&H appreciates this schedule may temporarily inconvenience a few customers and we do all we can to minimize that. We publicize our closing dates well in advance and while closed, post notices on almost every page on our site. As soon as possible after the holiday ends our warehouse and shipping departments reopen to extinguish backlogs as speedily as possible. We add additional staff in sales, customer service and order fulfillment as necessary to help reduce backlogs and expedite customer service.

I hope this is helpful.

[Chris Hurd]

As always Henry, that was tremendously helpful -- and deserving of the last word on this topic. Thanks all,