Business Closing Notice Samples That Still Sell

A business closing notice works when its first line is the last date a customer can still order or book, followed by the closure dates, the reopening day and time, and what happens to messages sent in between. This page is a library of 24 copy-paste samples in English and Bahasa Malaysia for year-end, Chinese New Year and Deepavali closures, sorted by where each one is posted: broadcast, WhatsApp Status, groups, Google Business Profile, the shop door, and the reopening notice most businesses forget.

Search for a business closing notice message sample and you get corporate memos. "Please be informed that our office will be closed from 24 December. We apologise for any inconvenience caused." Here is our position. That notice tells customers what you will not do. The closing notice is the last sales message you send before a break, and it should tell them what they can still do, and by when.

What should a business closing notice say?

It should say what the customer can still get before you close, and exactly when you are back. That takes four facts. The cut-off: the last day to order, collect or book. The closure: first and last day, with the day of the week. The reopening: a day and a time, not "after the holidays". And the gap: what happens to a message sent while you are away.

Drop the apology. "Sorry for the inconvenience" frames a festive break as a failure, and every customer in Malaysia knows what Chinese New Year is. Use the line for something they can act on.

It also matches what we have seen across MSME sales teams on WhatsApp. The outbound message that gets a reply brings something new for the reader and never hard-sells. A cut-off date is new information. "We are closed" on its own is not, so it gets a blue tick and nothing else.

Two notes before the samples. Everything in [square brackets] is yours to replace, and the dates shown are real weekdays for the 2026 and 2027 calendar so you can see the pattern. Write the day name next to every date. "Closed 4 to 10 Feb" makes the customer open a calendar. "Reopen Thu, 11 Feb, 10am" does not.

When should you send a closing notice?

Send the first one two to three weeks before your cut-off, not before your closing day. The cut-off is the date that matters to the customer, and for anything delivered it is set by your courier's last pick-up, which is usually several days before you lock the door.

This season the calendar is tight. Deepavali falls on Sunday, 8 November 2026 and Christmas on Friday, 25 December. Chinese New Year 2027 falls on Saturday and Sunday, 6 and 7 February, and Hari Raya Aidilfitri on 10 and 11 March, subject to confirmation (Human Resources Online, citing the Prime Minister's Department schedule). That is four festive closures in about four months. Both days of Chinese New Year land on a weekend, so check your state's replacement holiday before you print a reopening date.

A workable rhythm for each closure:

Advance closing notice samples (broadcast or direct message)

These go out first and carry everything. Samples 1 to 4 suit a business that delivers or takes orders. Samples 6 and 7 suit one that sells appointments.

1. Year-end closure, cut-off first (EN)

Hi [Name], a note from [Business Name] before the year ends.
 
Last day to order for delivery before the holidays: [Fri, 18 Dec].
We are closed from [Thu, 24 Dec] to [Sun, 3 Jan] and reopen on [Mon, 4 Jan] at [9am].
Orders placed during the break go out from [Tue, 5 Jan], in the order we receive them.
 
Want me to put anything aside for you before the 18th?
 
Reply STOP if you'd rather not get these notices.

2. Year-end closure, cut-off first (BM)

Hi [Nama], makluman daripada [Nama Perniagaan] sebelum hujung tahun.
 
Tarikh akhir pesanan untuk penghantaran sebelum cuti: [Jumaat, 18 Dis].
Kami tutup dari [Khamis, 24 Dis] hingga [Ahad, 3 Jan] dan beroperasi semula pada [Isnin, 4 Jan], [9 pagi].
Pesanan yang masuk semasa cuti akan dihantar mulai [Selasa, 5 Jan] mengikut giliran.
 
Ada apa-apa yang nak saya simpankan dulu sebelum 18 hb?
 
Balas STOP jika tidak mahu terima makluman seperti ini.

3. Chinese New Year, order and collection cut-off (EN)

Hi [Name], our Chinese New Year dates at [Business Name]:
 
Last order for delivery before CNY: [Wed, 27 Jan]
Last self-collection: [Wed, 3 Feb], before [5pm]
Closed: [Thu, 4 Feb] to [Wed, 10 Feb]
Open again: [Thu, 11 Feb], [10am]
 
Couriers get slow in the last week, so the 27th is the date I can stand behind. Do you need anything to arrive before the reunion dinner?

4. Chinese New Year, order and collection cut-off (BM)

Hi [Nama], tarikh cuti Tahun Baru Cina di [Nama Perniagaan]:
 
Pesanan terakhir untuk penghantaran sebelum cuti: [Rabu, 27 Jan]
Ambil sendiri terakhir: [Rabu, 3 Feb], sebelum [5 petang]
Tutup: [Khamis, 4 Feb] hingga [Rabu, 10 Feb]
Buka semula: [Khamis, 11 Feb], [10 pagi]
 
Kurier biasanya perlahan pada minggu terakhir, jadi 27 hb ialah tarikh yang saya boleh jamin. Ada barang yang perlu sampai sebelum cuti?

5. Deepavali, a short closure (EN)

Hi [Name], [Business Name] is closed on [Sun, 8 Nov] and [Mon, 9 Nov] for Deepavali, and back on [Tue, 10 Nov] at [10am].
 
If you need [your order/your appointment] before the festival, the last slot is [Sat, 7 Nov] at [2pm]. Shall I hold it for you?
 
Happy Deepavali to you and your family.

6. Service business, last appointment slots (EN)

Hi [Name], [Business Name] closes for [Chinese New Year] from [Thu, 4 Feb] and reopens on [Thu, 11 Feb].
 
We have [6] slots left before the break, on [Mon 1 Feb], [Tue 2 Feb] and [Wed 3 Feb]. After that, the next opening is [the week of 15 Feb].
 
[Your aircon service/Your follow-up visit] is due around now. Shall I hold a slot for you, and which day?

7. Service business, last appointment slots (BM)

Hi [Nama], [Nama Perniagaan] akan bercuti sempena [Tahun Baru Cina] mulai [Khamis, 4 Feb] dan beroperasi semula pada [Khamis, 11 Feb].
 
Tinggal [6] slot sebelum cuti, pada [Isnin 1 Feb], [Selasa 2 Feb] dan [Rabu 3 Feb]. Selepas itu, slot kosong seterusnya ialah [minggu 15 Feb].
 
[Servis aircond/Temujanji susulan] encik/puan sudah hampir tiba masanya. Nak saya simpankan satu slot? Hari mana yang sesuai?

Samples 1 and 2 end with an opt-out line, and it is worth keeping on any notice that goes to your whole list. A customer who can reply STOP has an easy way out that is not Block or Report spam. It lowers the risk to your number. It does not remove it.

Sample 6 is the one that earns its keep. A closure removes a week of slots from your calendar, and the customers who were due in that week do not vanish. They either come in before the break or they drift. Telling them how many slots are left is not pressure when the number is true.

Last-call reminder samples

The last call goes out three days before the cut-off, and only to people with something open: a quote they have not answered, a question about an item, a booking they started. Sending it to the whole list a second time is how a helpful notice turns into a blast.

8. Three days before the cut-off (EN)

Hi [Name], three days left: orders for delivery before [CNY] close on [Wed, 27 Jan] at [6pm]. After that, new orders go out from [Thu, 11 Feb].
 
You asked about [item] in [December]. Do you want it before the holiday or after? Either is fine, I just need to know which queue to put you in.

9. Three days before the cut-off (BM)

Hi [Nama], tinggal tiga hari: pesanan untuk penghantaran sebelum [Tahun Baru Cina] ditutup pada [Rabu, 27 Jan], [6 petang]. Selepas itu, pesanan baharu dihantar mulai [Khamis, 11 Feb].
 
[Nama] ada tanya tentang [barang] pada bulan [Disember]. Nak terima sebelum cuti atau selepas cuti? Dua-dua boleh, saya cuma perlu tahu nak masukkan dalam giliran yang mana.

"Before the holiday or after?" is a better closing question than "are you still interested?". Both answers are a sale.

WhatsApp Status notice samples

A Status disappears after 24 hours, and it is only shown between people who have saved each other's numbers (WhatsApp Help Center). So one post is not a notice. Post the dates daily in the final week, in three lines that can be read in the two seconds a Status gets.

10. Final week (EN)

CNY break at [Business Name]
Last order: [Wed, 27 Jan]
Closed: [4 to 10 Feb]
Back: [Thu, 11 Feb], [10am]
Reply to this Status to book your slot.

11. Final week (BM)

Cuti Tahun Baru Cina di [Nama Perniagaan]
Pesanan terakhir: [Rabu, 27 Jan]
Tutup: [4 hingga 10 Feb]
Buka semula: [Khamis, 11 Feb], [10 pagi]
Balas Status ini untuk tempah slot.

12. Last working day (EN)

Last day today. We close at [3pm] and reopen on [Thu, 11 Feb] at [10am].
Messages sent during the break are answered from the 11th, in the order they arrive.
Thank you for a good year, from all [5] of us.

Replies for the days between the cut-off and the closure

There is a gap most notices ignore. The cut-off has passed, you are still open, and people are still asking. This is a live reply, saved as a quick reply, not an automatic one. For the shortcut naming that keeps these easy to find, see our library of WhatsApp Business quick reply templates.

13. After the cut-off, two options (EN)

Thanks for the order, [Name]. Our cut-off for delivery before [CNY] was [27 Jan], so I can't promise it reaches you before the holiday. Two options:
1. Collect it yourself from [location] by [Wed, 3 Feb], [5pm]
2. I lock in your order now and it is the first to go out on [Thu, 11 Feb]
Which works for you?

14. After the cut-off, two options (BM)

Terima kasih atas pesanan, [Nama]. Tarikh akhir penghantaran sebelum [Tahun Baru Cina] ialah [27 Jan], jadi saya tak boleh janji barang sampai sebelum cuti. Ada dua pilihan:
1. Ambil sendiri di [lokasi] sebelum [Rabu, 3 Feb], [5 petang]
2. Saya kunci pesanan sekarang dan ia yang pertama dihantar pada [Khamis, 11 Feb]
Yang mana lebih sesuai?

Once the door is locked, the away message takes over. That wording lives in our separate library of WhatsApp auto reply message samples, which covers festive away messages in both languages. This page stops where that one starts.

Group notice samples

A group notice is read by many people at once and replied to by a few, loudly. Give the full schedule in one message, pin it, and say where questions should go.

15. Parents' or customers' group (EN)

Notice for all parents: [Centre Name] is closed from [Thu, 4 Feb] to [Wed, 10 Feb] for Chinese New Year.
 
Last class: [Wed, 3 Feb]
Classes resume: [Thu, 11 Feb], normal timetable
Replacement classes for the missed week: [Sat, 20 Feb] and [Sat, 27 Feb]
[February fees are unchanged.]
 
For questions about your child's schedule, please message me directly so this group stays readable.

16. Parents' or customers' group (BM)

Makluman kepada semua ibu bapa: [Nama Pusat] ditutup dari [Khamis, 4 Feb] hingga [Rabu, 10 Feb] sempena Tahun Baru Cina.
 
Kelas terakhir: [Rabu, 3 Feb]
Kelas bermula semula: [Khamis, 11 Feb], jadual biasa
Kelas ganti untuk minggu cuti: [Sabtu, 20 Feb] dan [Sabtu, 27 Feb]
[Yuran bulan Februari tidak berubah.]
 
Untuk soalan tentang jadual anak, sila mesej saya secara terus supaya kumpulan ini mudah dibaca.

17. Dealers or trade customers (EN)

Year-end notice for all dealers:
 
Last order for delivery this year: [Fri, 18 Dec], [12pm]
Last lorry out: [Tue, 22 Dec]
Warehouse closed: [Thu, 24 Dec] to [Sun, 3 Jan]
Stock count: [28 to 30 Dec], no collections
First delivery run next year: [Tue, 5 Jan]
 
Orders received during the closure are processed from [Mon, 4 Jan] by order time. Send orders to [number] by direct message, not in this group. Please react with a thumbs up once you have seen this.

Why does one closing notice not reach everyone?

Because every channel reaches a different slice of your customers, and the one most owners rely on reaches the smallest. A broadcast list in the WhatsApp Business app holds up to 256 contacts, and the message is delivered only to those who have saved your number in their address book (WhatsApp Help Center). The customer who bought from you once in March almost certainly has not.

Then there are the people who are not in your phone at all. They search your name, see your usual hours on Google, and drive over. Google's own advice is to confirm your hours for official holidays even when they have not changed, so customers can see they are accurate (Google Business Profile Help). A profile with nothing set for the holiday can show a warning that hours might differ.

That warning is not harmless. In a Yext survey of more than 1,000 US consumers, 52% said they are not confident visiting a business when they see it, and 73% said they are unlikely to return to a business that was listed as open online and turned out to be closed (Yext, 2022). Those are American numbers. The habit behind them, checking the listing before leaving the house, is the same in Subang Jaya on the third day of Chinese New Year.

So the notice is written once and posted six times. If your profile is not yet set up to send searchers into a chat, our guide to connecting Google Business Profile to WhatsApp covers that part.

Google Business Profile and shop door samples

Set special hours for each closed day first. Then add a short update, because special hours say you are closed and nothing about your cut-off.

18. Google Business Profile update (EN)

Chinese New Year hours at [Business Name], [area]: closed from [Thu, 4 Feb] to [Wed, 10 Feb], open again on [Thu, 11 Feb] from [10am]. Orders for delivery before CNY close on [Wed, 27 Jan]. WhatsApp us on [number] to book a slot before or after the break.

19. Shop door notice (EN and BM)

CLOSED FOR [CHINESE NEW YEAR]
TUTUP SEMPENA [TAHUN BARU CINA]
 
[Thu, 4 Feb] to [Wed, 10 Feb]
[Khamis, 4 Feb] hingga [Rabu, 10 Feb]
 
We reopen / Buka semula: [Thu, 11 Feb], [10am]
 
Need us? Scan to message us on WhatsApp. We reply from the 11th, in order.
Perlukan kami? Imbas untuk WhatsApp kami. Kami balas mulai 11 hb mengikut giliran.
 
[QR code]

The QR code is the part that matters on sample 19. A walk-in who finds a locked door and a date will go to the shop next door. A walk-in who can leave a message in ten seconds is in your queue when you return.

How do you tell customers you have reopened?

You tell them on the morning you are back, before you answer anything else, and you tell them when their message will be dealt with. This is the notice most businesses skip. Customers were told you are closed, nobody tells them you are open, and the ones who were going to order "after the holidays" wait for a signal that never comes.

20. Reopening notice (EN)

Good morning, [Name]. [Business Name] is open again from today, [Thu, 11 Feb].
 
We are working through the messages from the break in the order they came in, and expect to clear them by [Fri, 5pm].
First delivery run: [Fri, 12 Feb]
First free appointment: [Mon, 15 Feb]
 
If you were waiting on us for something, reply here and I'll move you up.

21. Reopening notice (BM)

Selamat pagi, [Nama]. [Nama Perniagaan] sudah beroperasi semula mulai hari ini, [Khamis, 11 Feb].
 
Kami sedang membalas mesej yang masuk semasa cuti mengikut giliran, dan dijangka selesai sebelum [Jumaat, 5 petang].
Penghantaran pertama: [Jumaat, 12 Feb]
Slot temujanji terawal: [Isnin, 15 Feb]
 
Kalau ada perkara yang sedang menunggu daripada kami, balas di sini dan saya akan dahulukan.

22. Reopening Status (EN)

We're back. Open from [10am] today.
Break messages are being answered in order.
First delivery run: [Fri, 12 Feb].

23. Answering a message that arrived during the break (EN)

Hi [Name], thanks for waiting. You wrote to us on [date] about [item/service] while we were closed. Here is the answer: [the answer, with the price or the date].
 
The earliest I can [deliver/see you] is [day]. Shall I book that?

24. Answering a message that arrived during the break (BM)

Hi [Nama], terima kasih kerana sabar menunggu. [Nama] ada mesej kami pada [tarikh] tentang [barang/servis] semasa kami bercuti. Ini jawapannya: [jawapan, dengan harga atau tarikh].
 
Tarikh paling awal saya boleh [hantar/buat temujanji] ialah [hari]. Nak saya tempahkan?

Samples 23 and 24 name the date the customer wrote. It is a small thing, and it tells them their message was read and not swept up in a batch reply.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you send one closing notice to a whole customer list?

You keep the list in one place, decide the dates once, and post the same facts everywhere from that single source. The wording above is the easy half. The hard half is that the list lives in three phones, and each person tells their own customers in their own way, or not at all.

Picture a five-person aircon servicing company in Subang Jaya in the last week of January. Two technicians have customers saved on their personal phones. The admin has a broadcast list of 180 names, of whom perhaps half saved the number. The owner posts a Status on the 3rd. On the 5th, the Google listing still says open until 6pm. Every one of them did something, and most customers still heard nothing.

A solo owner can run all six steps from the WhatsApp Business app and a calendar. A team usually cannot, because steps three and four need one list and a record of who has an open enquiry. In Raion HUB, every customer sits in one CRM whoever first spoke to them. The advance notice is a campaign: filter the list, select every match, and schedule one approved template with each customer's name filled in. Delivered, read and replied are tracked per recipient, so on the last working day you can see who has not opened it.

During the break, the AI chatbot keeps answering questions from the documents you uploaded, in the language the customer writes in, and fills in your CRM fields from the chat. If you take bookings, it offers slots from the connected Google calendar and respects your closed days and public holidays, so nobody is booked into the week you are away. On reopening morning, every chat from the break is in one inbox with the AI's answers already in it, and the dashboard shows the open leads nobody has touched in seven days. Those are the ones that went quiet before you closed, and they get the first reopening messages.

The bottom line

A closing notice is not a courtesy memo. It is the last message your customers get from you before a week of silence, so it should carry the one date they can act on. For the wider setup behind these messages, from first reply to follow-up, see our WhatsApp automation guide for Malaysian businesses.