AIBU Christmas and retail

[ItsaTenfromDen]

I work in retail, yes this is my choice at the moment, would dearly love another job, but so far this is proving hard to find.

AIBU to be annoyed by someones desire to go shopping on Boxing Day? I will be up at 4.30 and opening at 6am. What can anyone possibly need at 6am on Boxing Day? We don't sell medicine or food!

I appreciate that Doctors and Nurses and other professions have to work, but I see that as a necessary park of their job. People need medical attention every day.

Even if I didn't work in retail I would never think of going shopping on Boxing Day, I've seen enough of the shops in the run up to Christmas.

[Floofborksnootandboop]

Surely where you work doesn't actually open at 6am?

[ItsaTenfromDen]

sadly it does:(

[Laiste]

I don't think you're being U. I always hated having to work boxing day. (and new years day).

However, not everyone celebrates xmas and it's just another day and even those who do may not have a busy xmas with family or many friends and like to get out round the sales on BD.

[EveOnline2016]

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/11/13/petition-calling-for-shops-to-stay-closed-on-boxing-day-wins-sup/

Hopefully this will go in your favour

[LiviaDrusillaAugusta]

People are used to 24 hour consumerism.

If you weren't open, they would just buy it online, putting you out of a job eventually. High streets are being decimated by shops going bust. I sympathise but one extra day a year of inconvenience has to be better than no job at all, surely?

[Topseyt]

That would be the trend over the last few years for Boxing Day sales.

I have never been to them myself, but I have definitely heard that major stores open doors at 6am on Boxing Day. To me it seems madness, but horses for courses I guess.

[LiviaDrusillaAugusta]

I would rather stick pins in my eyes than go shopping on Boxing Day anyway but there is obviously a huge demand.

[OliviaBensonOnAGoodDay]

I used to have to work on BD and I hated it too. It ruined Christmas to be totally honest.

I also can't think of anything worse than trawling round the high street on Boxing Day. I feel sorry for people for whom that is their idea of a good time!

[Laiste]

I meant to add, IME working in big shops with a lot of staff it's not compulsory because there are usually enough staff who are perfectly willing to come in.

Trickier in a small shop. The old who's going to be the one to come in on BD conudrum when no one wants to do it. Ugh. We used to have to choose - boxing day or new years day. And if there was still no consensus then we drew straws

[ItsaTenfromDen]

Livia I guess so. Then again how inconvenient is one extra day when you can't go shopping? Easter Sunday, Christmas Day and Boxing Day would satisfy me :)

[wasonthelist]

YANBU OP I wish Boxing Day was a day off for retail too.

I used to enjoy the Jan sales before they happened on Boxing day and when old stock was sold at actual reductions but now it's all just lies anyway so I don't bother any more.

[LiviaDrusillaAugusta]

Why feel sorry for them? I wouldn't do it but I get that people enjoy it and wouldn't be patronising about them

[Coffeethrowtrampbitch]

It is ridiculous.

My dsis used to work in retail and had to stay late on Christmas eve unpaid every year to change point of sale stuff. If she hadn't it would have been up at 4 to do it before shop opened at 6. Another friend used to go to work at a department store for 6am on Boxing Day and had to avoid the hordes of Next shoppers next door, many of whom had been there since 3 for a 5am opening.

I don't think we are likely to succeed in getting shops to stay closed by law, but limiting them to 6 hours similar to Sunday trading laws in England would stop them opening so ridiculously early, unless they wanted to close at midday.

[GoofyTheHero]

I can't imagine why anyone wants to go shopping on Boxinfg Day, but it seems a lot of people do.
After everyone gets loads of 'stuff' on Christmas Day I'm not sure why people need to go out and buy more stuff, I always think people must have huge houses to fit it all in!
Boxing Day for me is spent vaguely hungover, going for a walk in the fresh air and eating leftovers.
Anyway I don't think YABU, I think people could wait another day to do their shopping and allow retail workers an extra day to spend with their family after what has already been a horrifically busy season for them.

[LiviaDrusillaAugusta]

Like I said, people are used to shopping every day so you can either stop people wanting to do that (not going to happen!) or if they are going to do it anyway, why risk losing their business when they decide that online shopping is less hassle.

[RebootYourEngine]

YADNBU however i think people go shopping because the shops are open. If they werent open people would find something else to do. The sales can wait until the 27th.

[BelfastSmile]

I'm with you, OP. My dad always worked a shop when we were growing up (still does, in fact), and he never really got to enjoy Christmas. The run-up was so busy (he works in a clothes shop, so people buying presents and outfits for Christmas Events), then he had 2 days off, and back in early the next day to start the sale.

I can kind of understand the reasoning now that people can shop online instead, but before that I really never thought there was any excuse for it. "People want to shop" - so? I want to go to the library on Sunday, but I can't, because it's close, so I do something else.

[Areyoufree]

YANBU. People working in retail do seem to get treated pretty badly in general though, for some reason. Badly paid, no flexibility, but expected to be bubbly and helpful at all times. Oh, and I don't work in retail, by the way.

[NathanBarleyrocks]

YANBU. It would be lovely if the shops shut for a few days after Christmas day. But then I never understand the number of people that actually shop for pleasure.

[DeleteOrDecay]

YANBU, it's one of the reasons why unless I had absolutely no choice, I'll never work in retail again.

[UserJay]

Closing shops on boxing day wouldn't give retail workers an extra day with their families. The retailers aren't going to give us all a paid day off. It'd just dictates that we either use a day holiday for boxing day or work another day in Christmas week to make the hours up.

[MissClimpsonsTypingBureau]

YADNBU. I can't get my head around people for whom bank holiday = must go shopping (especially at 6 am!)

[specialsubject]

I'm trying to avoid the shops until January - just a couple of presents to buy which I can do a few days in advance. Otherwise only food, not that you can buy much else as it is solid plastic sparkles everywhere.

shut on boxing day won't make any difference to me.

[Scarydinosaurs]

Boxing Day should be a paid day off for all workers. Christmas Day, Boxing Day, Easter Sunday. Shut the shops- no one needs to go shopping every single bloody day.

I would never go shopping on Boxing Day, even if I could. It's a day to be at home and enjoy your friends and family.

If you want to go shopping- go online!

[ItsaTenfromDen]

User that is what happens for Christmas Day now, so adding another day to that would be fine by me. Of course not everyone would want to used an extra holiday day.