kaili cochran
Words by Kaili Cochran
When COVID hit, everything changed. It felt like the world shut down. Businesses ran on limited hours and most people started working remotely. But even five years after the pandemic ended, some changes haven’t gone away.
One of the most significant shifts is the decline of 24-hour services. From diners to pharmacies, airports to gyms, the convenience of having 24-hour services may never be what it once was.
A few years ago, many businesses remained open 24 hours. Stores like Walmart, fast-food chains like McDonald’s and Wendy’s, gyms like Planet Fitness and pharmacies like CVS and Walgreens stayed open all night. Now, many of these places don’t even stay open past 10 p.m.
24-hour services benefited a lot of people with different schedules and needs. Night-shift workers relied on them after getting off work. Night owls could run errands whenever they wanted. Travelers passing through at odd hours now struggle to find food or essentials. And when unexpected (non-emergency) situations come up in the middle of the night, people used to be able to run to a pharmacy or Walmart. But that’s no longer an option.
In early 2020, businesses cut hours due to health regulations, low staff and safety concerns. Most thought the cut on hours was temporary, but 24-hour services never came back in the same way.
There are a few reasons. Labor shortages have continued with many service jobs understaffed due to low wages or people switching careers. On top of that, businesses realized late-night demand was low compared to daytime traffic. It wasn’t worth the cost to stay open all night, especially with rising expenses for staffing, utilities and security.
Consumer behavior also changed. People started going out less at night and began relying more on delivery services. The pandemic pushed businesses to go digital, and many of them now offer extended online hours to make up for shorter in-person hours. Shopping from your phone or laptop has become more convenient than physically going to the store.
Although the cutback on hours has benefited the businesses and people have adjusted to the new hours, without as many 24-hour businesses the world feels a little less accessible than it once did.
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