During the holiday shopping season, customers often have difficulty finishing all of their gift-buying in just one trip. There is always some item they forgot or a store that they could not reach in time, which means that they must make multiple attempts at finishing their purchases while there is still time. This year, some retailers chose to open on Thanksgiving Day to provide consumers extra time to check everything off their list, but with fewer days between Black Friday weekend and Christmas this year, those extra hours may not be enough. 

To help consumers fit more shopping into their busy schedules, some retailers will be open 24 hours for part of the time leading up to Christmas, according to USA Today. For example, Toys R Us will start letting customers in at 6 a.m. on Dec. 21 before finally closing its doors at 9 p.m. on Dec. 24. Not all businesses will follow this model, but numerous Macy's locations will be open until 2 a.m., and similar department stores also plan to offer extended hours. 

Because customers often have only a brief window to shop, merchants will need to deploy strong point of sale software that can quickly finish transactions, allowing for a seamless experience that may encourage long-term loyalty, particularly during hectic shopping hours.