Electronics Store Hours Guide

Typical Hours at Major Electronics Stores

Electronics stores keep some of the most standardized hours in retail. Unlike grocery stores that open at dawn or restaurants that stay open past midnight, electronics retailers cluster around a 10:00 AM to 9:00 PM window. The logic is simple - people buying TVs and laptops do not tend to shop at 7:00 AM. The customer base skews toward after-work and weekend shoppers, so there is no business reason to open early.

Here is how typical hours break down across the major chains:

Best Buy: The Last Big Electronics Chain

Best Buy is the dominant electronics retailer in the United States, and by a wide margin. Circuit City closed in 2009. Fry's Electronics shut down in 2021. That leaves Best Buy as essentially the only national big-box electronics store, which gives them a lot of flexibility with their schedule.

Standard Best Buy hours run 10:00 AM to 9:00 PM Monday through Saturday. Sunday hours are shorter at most locations - typically 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM. Some stores in high-traffic areas keep 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM on Sundays, but the late opening is consistent everywhere.

Best Buy's Geek Squad service counter keeps the same hours as the store. If you need a repair consultation or a device pickup from their service department, plan to arrive at least 30 minutes before closing. They stop accepting new service requests about an hour before the doors lock.

One thing to know: Best Buy frequently adjusts hours during the holiday season. From Black Friday through Christmas Eve, many stores extend to 9:00 or 10:00 PM closings, and some open as early as 6:00 AM during the busiest shopping days. Check the Holiday Hours page for current holiday schedules.

Apple Store Hours: A Different Experience

Apple Stores are split into two types, and the type determines the hours. Mall-based Apple Stores follow whatever hours the mall sets, which typically means 10:00 AM to 9:00 PM on weekdays and Saturdays, with reduced Sunday hours. Standalone street-facing stores set their own schedules, and these tend to stay open later - especially flagship locations in major cities.

The Apple Store experience is also different because of their appointment system. Walk-in help is available, but the Genius Bar runs on reservations. Even if the store is open, getting a repair slot requires booking ahead. For product purchases, no appointment is needed - you can walk in anytime during business hours.

Apple product launches are the exception to every scheduling rule. When a new iPhone drops, Apple Stores worldwide open at 8:00 AM on launch day, with lines forming hours earlier. These early openings happen a few times per year at most and are heavily publicized in advance.

GameStop: Shorter Hours, Different Crowd

GameStop keeps the shortest regular hours of any electronics store on this list. Weekday hours run 10:00 AM to 9:00 PM, Saturdays are similar, but Sundays are notably limited at most locations - often noon to 6:00 PM. Some mall-based GameStops follow mall hours instead, which might give you an extra hour or two.

GameStop's customer base is different from Best Buy's. They are serving gamers who tend to shop in the afternoon and evening, not morning shoppers looking for a washer. The shorter hours reflect this reality. If you need to trade in games or consoles, aim for a weekday afternoon when staff have more time for the assessment process.

During major game launches and console releases, GameStop often hosts midnight release events where the store stays open past normal closing time. These events are announced weeks in advance on their website and social media. The store does not stay open through the night - they typically reopen at normal hours the next morning.

Wireless Carrier Store Hours

AT&T and Verizon corporate stores keep similar schedules: 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM on weekdays, with Saturday hours ending a bit earlier at 7:00 PM. Sundays see the shortest hours, typically 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

There is an important distinction with wireless stores: corporate-owned stores follow the schedules listed here, but authorized retailers (third-party shops selling AT&T or Verizon service) set their own hours. Authorized retailers are often in strip malls and may keep different schedules, sometimes staying open later or closing earlier than the corporate stores.

If you are going to a wireless store for a phone upgrade, tech support, or an account change, budget at least 45 minutes to an hour. These visits take time, and showing up 30 minutes before closing usually means you will be rushed or turned away. For anything beyond a quick accessory purchase, go during off-peak hours - Tuesday and Wednesday mornings are typically the slowest times.

RadioShack has a much smaller footprint than it once did, but remaining locations keep 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM weekday hours with reduced weekend schedules. Their focus has shifted toward cell phone accessories, parts, and hobby electronics.

Weekend Hours for Electronics Stores

Saturdays are the busiest day at every electronics store. It is when families shop for TVs, when college students buy laptops, and when people finally get around to upgrading their phones. Best Buy and Apple keep full weekday hours on Saturday, so you have the same window - but expect the crowd to be three or four times larger than a Tuesday afternoon.

Sundays tell a different story. Every chain cuts hours on Sunday. Best Buy and Apple typically do not open until 11:00 AM and close by 7:00 PM. GameStop often does not open until noon. Wireless stores pull back to 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM. If Sunday is your only shopping day, go right when doors open to get help before the afternoon crowd builds.

For a full comparison of Saturday and Sunday hours at every store we track, see the Weekend Hours page. You can also check which stores are open on Sunday across all categories.

Holiday Hours for Electronics Stores

Electronics stores and holidays have a complicated relationship. The period from Black Friday through Christmas is when these stores make a huge portion of their annual revenue, so they treat each holiday differently.

Check our Holiday Hours page for a complete breakdown of every store's holiday schedule, or use the Holiday Calendar for a visual timeline of the year.

Best Buy vs. Apple Store: Where to Shop

If you are buying Apple products, you might wonder whether the Apple Store or Best Buy is the better option. Hours are nearly identical at both, so the decision comes down to other factors.

Apple Stores carry only Apple and Apple-compatible products. The staff are trained exclusively on Apple hardware and software, and Genius Bar repairs are only available at Apple locations. For anything involving AppleCare, warranty service, or hardware diagnostics, the Apple Store is the only option.

Best Buy carries Apple products alongside everything else. Their advantage is comparison shopping - you can look at a MacBook and a comparable Windows laptop side by side. Best Buy also offers their own Geek Squad protection plans, open-box discounts on Apple products, and a price-match guarantee that includes Apple.com pricing. For purely transactional purchases, Best Buy often has the better deal.

You can compare Best Buy and Apple Store hours side by side with our comparison tool.

Tips for Shopping at Electronics Stores

• Weekday mornings are the best time for help - Staff are most available from 10:00 AM to noon on weekdays. You will get more attention and better advice than during the Saturday rush.
• Avoid Best Buy on Saturday afternoon - From noon to 4:00 PM on Saturdays is the most crowded time. If you need a specific product and know what you want, order online for in-store pickup to skip the floor entirely.
• Book Apple Genius Bar appointments online - Walk-in availability is hit or miss, especially on weekends. Book a few days ahead through the Apple Store app or website for a guaranteed slot.
• Call ahead for wireless store visits - Phone upgrades and account changes can take an hour or more. Some AT&T and Verizon locations now offer scheduled appointments that reduce wait times significantly.
• Check for price-match windows - Best Buy matches prices from Amazon, Apple.com, and other major retailers. If the price drops within the return window (usually 15 days), they will adjust it. Bring proof of the lower price.
• Use the store finder for exact hours - Mall locations and standalone stores in the same city can have different schedules. Our Store Finder helps you look up specific locations before making the trip.

Electronics Stores by Type

Explore detailed hours and schedule information for each electronics retailer:

Frequently Asked Questions