5 Ways to Generate Retail Revenue Outside Business Hours (2026)

As a brick-and-mortar retailer, the cost of staying “open for business” is often higher than for online-only merchants. And while staying open 24/7 might initially sound like a good way to boost sales, it may not always help the bottom line. You have staffing, operating, and other associated expenses with keeping the doors open.

But that doesn’t mean that once you flip the sign from “open” to “closed” you have to stop generating revenue. In fact, there are ways other retailers generate sales (and build demand) outside of normal business hours—without adding payroll.

Below, you’ll find five ways to keep revenue moving after you shut your doors.

Key Takeaways

• Monetize your physical footprint after hours by renting space or hosting paid experiences.
• Use self-serve options (like kiosks and QR-to-checkout) to sell without staff On-Site.
• Turn events into repeatable revenue with ticketing, bundles, and post-event follow-ups.
• Extend selling hours with ambassadors, creator codes, and an online store (plus gift cards).

Share Your Space

Consider opening your doors to more than just shoppers. If you have the square footage, you can rent out a portion of your store to other retailers or businesses. They could set up shop, be it permanently or Pop-Up-in-a-shop, and you could charge rent or a commission on their sales, creating more of a passive income stream. Just make sure they have a separate entrance or that you can easily distinguish the two so you don’t need to run staffed checkout when they’re there.

Sharing your store could also mean turning it into a community space of sorts, which can establish strong connections with the local market and create a positive image for your brand.

Birch & Main, a candle shop in Port Jefferson, NY, has done exactly that. “We love to use our space as a community center after hours,” says founder Michael Mcpolin. “Our main focus is our candle and body line, but we are considered a lifestyle boutique.”

Birch & Main opens their doors to outsiders to host workshops, private events, classes and more. “The minimal cost not only helps generate a higher dollar per square foot, but it has grown so quickly that it has become a meaningful revenue stream for the business,” Mcpolin says.

Self-Serve Shopping

Self-serve shopping is when customers can purchase from your store without needing a sales associate present to administer the transaction. The customer can do everything themselves, from product selection to payment and fulfillment.

The way you execute this idea varies greatly and depends on your business and your customer. One straightforward tactic that’s simple to test is a vending machine or an outdoor pickup locker.

University Bicycles in Boulder, CO, for example, has a vending machine that’s accessible to passersby. But it’s not your average vending machine with chips and Gatorade. Instead, they’ve stocked the vending machine with Clif Bars and other biker-friendly treats (which also appease the local consumer base, as Boulder is a health-conscious and active town).

Here, they’re not only making sales around the clock, they’re also building a reputation with consumers who otherwise may not have heard of them.

A couple more ways to execute self-serve shopping:

• Install touchscreens or interactive kiosks/displays so customers can browse and check out. If you don’t want to support after-hours fulfillment, let shoppers build a cart and save it for later (or place a pickup order for the next day).
• Add QR codes to window displays so customers can scan, view product details, and buy online after hours—then choose shipping or pickup.

Host In-Store Events and Workshops

Brick-and-mortar retailers can also host In-Store events and workshops. They build buzz, create community, and establish and nurture customer relationships. Plus, it gives you the chance to showcase your products and industry expertise, which creates trust with shoppers.

FURTHER READING: Learn more about how hosting In-Store events can help build community and customer loyalty.

ScrubzBody™️ Skin Care, which sells skincare products in its Farmingdale, NY, shop, hosts “Make Your Own” parties after hours. Founder Roberta Perry says the idea came from her late sister, inspired by the hands-on crafting parties that her children often attended. They realized spa parties were popular in salons and similar businesses, so the idea of the “Make Your Own” body scrubs parties was born.

“[The parties] have turned us into an involved community business and not just a retail store,” Perry says. “It has brought in new customers that would’ve never known about us if not for being invited to a party.”

And she has the numbers to prove it: At their original location, party sales accounted for a meaningful portion of annual revenue. After moving to a new location where they introduced a dedicated party room at the front of the store, that share increased significantly.

Plus, through their scrub discount program, party-goers can return with their jars and get a discounted refill—a strategic way to drive repeat sales.

“Then we know they’ve been converted from party person to a member of our family,” Perry says.

United By Blue is another retailer that hosts events. They take a more varied approach for the events at their three locations, covering different topics and themes. Some events are even capped in attendance, with a limit of 20 guests, while others attract upwards of 250 potential customers. That was the case for their kick-off party hosted in collaboration with Oxford Pennant and True Hand Society.

Brand Ambassadors (and Creator Codes)

Brand ambassadors are a hybrid between influencers and salespeople. Many brands hire local creators, campus reps, or loyal customers to represent the brand, spread the word, and sell products—often using trackable links or discount codes that work 24/7.

Instead of relying on a generic influencer post, set up a simple ambassador program that’s built for after-hours sales:

• Give each ambassador a unique code (for example, “ALEX10”) and a dedicated landing page with bestsellers.
• Encourage short-form video demos and “shop the replay” content that keeps converting after the live moment.
• Pay commission on attributed sales, or offer store credit and product drops for top performers.

Real-world examples you can model (Training data): creator codes for DTC apparel and beauty brands, affiliate links for specialty retailers, and live-shopping replays that continue to drive orders overnight.

Open an Online Store

While the majority of retail sales still happen In-Store, ecommerce remains a major part of how people discover and buy products. In the U.S., ecommerce accounted for about 16.3% of total retail sales in Q2 2025 (U.S. Census Bureau quarterly retail ecommerce report).

That doesn’t mean retailers should throw in the towel or go all-in on ecommerce, but it does signify the importance of adapting and catering to multichannel consumer behavior. If you haven’t already, consider launching an online store that can sell 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

And when you sell online, you’re reaching a larger audience. Rather than limiting yourself to a geographical area, you can reach the seemingly infinite pool of online shoppers. Plus, you don’t need to make a huge investment to launch an online store, especially considering you’ve already got the products and an existing customer base.

One such example is Little Acre Gourmet Foods, a gourmet condiment creator that began selling at farmer’s markets and then eventually set up their own ecommerce site.

Sell Gift Cards Online (So You Can Earn After Hours)

Gift cards are a straightforward way to generate revenue when your store is closed—especially around holidays, local events, and last-minute gifting moments. If you sell gift cards online, customers can buy instantly at night or on weekends, and recipients can redeem In-Store or online later.

• Create a “digital gift card” product and feature it in your site navigation and footer.
• Merchandise gift cards in your storefront window with a QR code that links to the gift card page.
• Bundle gift cards with an appointment or service (for example, “$100 gift card + free styling session”).

Ready to launch your online store? Find out how to build, launch and grow a profitable online store >