Green or Green?

Here's something for non-mall stores to consider.  Those of us who have been in retail for a long time have long since accepted the custom of propping open the front door to encourage more foot traffic.  As customers and retailers alike become more focused on green initiatives and energy conservation, is this still a good idea? 

Does an open door while the AC or heat is on inside a store actually turn off more customers than it brings in?  I don't know the answer but it is something to think about. Got any thoughts?

Comments

[Lisa]

Actually we prop the door for the exact opposite reason - to be more green (or more to the point - to save on the energy bill). We have hallogen (I think) light bulbs lining the walls of the store to shine on the beads. On sunny days in the winter, the store easily gets up to 75+ w/out running the heater. AAMOF our heating bill is allmost nill in the winter - the electric OTOH...!

So, in order not to run the AC during the winter, we will often prop the door for a few minutes at a time to cool the store. It's a little inconvenient to keep messing w/ the door, but it beats paying for AC when it's 35 degrees outside. We continue this practice into the spring (as long as it's cool enough outside to cool the store).