I think the current 6 hours opening on sundays for supermarkets is long enough

[fortyfide]

It is reported that Georgie Osborne is set to increase the hours they can open on Sundays
I thought 10am to 4pm was adequate.

[Oodear]

I don't think they should open longer. Plenty of time to shop as it is

[dementedpixie]

ours are open 24 hours in Scotland. I wouldn't want a 6 hour window now I am used to them being open longer

[Superexcited]

I want them to be open longer because I have a child with asd and we like to go clothes shopping etc early when the shops are quieter, if we wait until 11am (as we have to on Sunday's) the shops are already busy. We try to go early on Saturdays if I need him to try on clothes /shoes but if we are busy elsewhere on Saturday then we have to wait until the following week. Being able to go on Sunday's would make life easier.

[Lottapianos]

Hmm, I can see both sides with this. I'm sure that people who work in retail are not relishing the thought of working longer hours on a Sunday and I don't blame them for that. On the other hand, for many people Sunday is the only day they have to do their shopping. Sunday is not a day of rest any more in this country, its just another day of the week so on balance I think its a good thing

[Famousfor5]

Of course the shops should be open longer. It's a stupid law and doesn't really help anyone. Plenty of people want to work at the weekend for loads of different reasons.

[SaulGood]

I really don't know what to think about it.

My Dad works in retail and is a committed Orthodox Christian. He's already struggling to hang onto his Sundays off which they agreed to when he started there. I do wonder if a change in law would move the goalposts for him.

[DayLillie]

I live near to an industrial estate that is now becoming a retail park with large stores. Tesco already opens 25h Mon to Sat 10pm.

It is good to have a break from it, however short.

[trixymalixy]

I'm also in Scotland and think the English Sunday shop opening hours are totally outdated.

[Turtlefeet]

Its the workers that will get shafted.

Working all day on a Sunday will become part of their contract just like those who were told in the first place when Sunday trading first came in - that working on a Sunday would be optional.

Germany still have proper Sundays why cant we.

I miss proper Sundays. Yes I do occassionally shop on a Sunday and yes the 7 years I spent in Scotland did mean I could pop to Asda on a Sunday night when I realised there was no bread left for the packed lunches for Monday.

But really - we could all manage without. I think its another fateful step into commercialism.

20 year from now - everything will be open 24/7 and our kids will be the ones being told if they want a job they will do the shifts required - or lose their jobs!

[Turtlefeet]

I suspect it is being brought in to get us all chatting about it instead of the £billions of cuts being announced tomorrow.

[Lottapianos]

I suspect you're absolutely right Turtlefeet

[lem73]

I disagree turtlefeet. I happen to know one of the MPs who has been pushing for this - he went to uni with me - and I know the motivation for this is for commercial reasons. If you remember, Sunday hours were extended during the Olympics for that reason. Personally I'm on the fence. It's nice for Sunday to be a quiet day, but supermarkets are murder on Sunday afternoons and that might help.

[Lottapianos]

Yes but its interesting timing for the announcement lem73, isn't it?

[AliceDoesntLiveHereAnymore]

I'd hate to see longer shop hours on Sunday. I'd be perfectly happy if shops were closed on Sundays, although I can also see why for some it's important to have them open. I feel badly for the shop workers, as it only means more work on the weekends that they may struggle to find childcare for.

I imagine the government is pushing all they can to make sure they can say "of course you can all work more hours, because see? the shops are open longer, so more work available. So now there's no excuse not to 1-have a job and b-be working a certain amount of hours/making a certain amount of money."

I find it sad to see these little things getting chipped away little by little. But that's just me, I guess.

[AliceDoesntLiveHereAnymore]

For goodness sake! I mixed up my points... pretend that's 1- and 2-.. Not sure why my brain went with 1- and b-.

[ImperialBlether]

I don't see why we should be treated as children and told when we can shop. I would have thought there are plenty who want to work on a Sunday - students, for one, and also parents who want to avoid childcare/costs.

[VanillaTwirl]

It was awful moving down from Scotland with its 24 hr supermarkets, to England with its antiquated Sunday opening hrs.

I really don't see what the objection is tbh.

[Turtlefeet]

Germany is a country doing OK. They have next to nothing open on a Sunday at all. Petrol stations for a few hours. A few selected cake shops but thats it.
Even pharmacies are closed except for one in a district/area for emergencies only.
No commercial vehicles allowed on the road etc.

People actually stop and relax and spend time with their families because hardly anyone has to work on a Sunday.

Quality family time is already a rare thing for many in this country, this will bugger it up for good!

I am old enough to recall when Sunday trading first came in. We were told NO ONE would be MADE to work Sundays. It would be optional for those who wanted it. There are few people working in retail today who will never get asked or expected to work a Sunday.

I am actually very opposed to this.

[LostMyBaubles]

Im all up for this.
I think it will open up more work as more shifts will be available. Ive been thinking about it for a while now (why they close early on sunday as Sunday is hardly a day of rest like it used to be)

[AmandaTanen]

Another one grateful for being in Scotland, only downside for me is doing my shopping before 10am so I can't buy alcohol ????

[lljkk]

Funny that it's claimed to hurt working class, when super left wing voting Scotland has this already while conservative-voting England baulks.

Does labour campaign against in Scotland?

[Pippidoeswhatshewants]

Our years in Switzerland were bliss - absolutely everything shut on a Sunday and everybody is forced to have family time or relax. I would vote to have the same here immediately. Every day here is the same, no wonder everybody complains about the rat race.

[EducationalWelfareMakeMeCry]

I remember when most shops were closed on a Sunday and think the ballance is right now. No need for longer Sunday trading.

Is this a step to stop places like the NHS staff to stop asking for weekend extra money?

[lljkk]

Forced to have family time sounds like a nightmare to me.

[Beagadorsrock]

I remember when there was nothing open on Sundays and you were bound to stay home twiddling your thumbs because of the overarching needs of the established church and I think the current legislation (6 hours) makes the right compromise between shopping and 'other pursuits' including religious ones.

On the other hand, in some other countries, specific types of shops/activities (grocers; restaurants; pharmacies; etc including museums!) also have a statutory (I think) weekly half day closure - this enables both owners and workers to plan their life accordingly and to do 'workday business' like banking or other admin, which I think is fair enough. Here, everything would obviously be left to 'market forces' which means that workers would be blackmailed into 'work all hours or we find someone else... for a lower wage'.