The six days per week economy

This is the first in a series on economic trends in what I am calling the New Era in the United States, trends that are likely to affect your work, your money, and probably your lifestyle, as well.

What's one of the first habits likely to take hold in the New Era, due to the cyclical, structural, and technological forces acting on the U.S. economy? Well, it's likely to start slowly and idiosyncratically at your local pub or salon and then take hold in strip malls and on main streets everywhere: the six days per week economy.

The first wave of the recession saw a wave of store closures, and more than a few retails chains may not survive this downturn. The second wave -- as the U.S. transitions from a hyper-consumer economy to a more balanced economy -- will involve retail and other operations closing one day a week. Some stores and restaurants are already doing this. However, while most business will go the minus-a-day route due to a lack of customers, not all will see net lower revenue. On the contrary, some might see per-day increases in revenue that will more than make up for the shorter work weeks.