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Original poster

Where there any shops open near you on Christmas Day?

44 replies

pusscatsinblankets · 27/12/2020 00:28

I'm just curious. I live in London, and I'm used to being able to pop out for essentials at any time. Last year we ran out of butter on Xmas day, and my mum was enthralled by the the fact that there was a shop open on the next road along to buy some from. On the converse of this, I remember driving to my MIL's one Sunday with a plan to make a Mexican dish. I'd forgotten to buy limes, but though "ah it'll be fine, I can get some from a corner shop". But nope, no corner shops for miles!

What is normal for you? I just could not imagine having no shops around to buy at least sims stuff to cobble together a dinner!

OP posts:
Plonque · 27/12/2020 00:33

I live in the NW, in Lancashire. Our local shop was open for a couple of hours but only because it is now run by an Indian family.
In previous years it has stayed closed, maybe opening for a very short stint on Boxing Day.

BluebellsGreenbells · 27/12/2020 00:36

If you knew the shops were closed you’d get organized and wouldn’t even consider ‘popping out’ to get some basic food stuffs.

Shop workers deserve time off.

cakebythepound1234 · 27/12/2020 00:36

Oooh good idea for a thread! I'm always curious as to what Christmas is like depending on where you are in the country/world.
In my hometown (which is a small one in the Midlands) you might find a corner shop open or a petrol station somewhere in the vicinity but nothing much else. We've just moved to Mexico City though and walked along a main shopping street y'day to get to our friends house for dinner - most shops were shut but surprisingly Starbucks was open, as was the Apple Mac store. Supermarkets were still open too and Uber eats still operated all day/night. Very strange for this small town girl!

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LoudBatPerson · 27/12/2020 00:36

Yes our local was open apparently ( I didn't visit but some asked on a local message board), we are in London.

I have been in rural Wales for Christmas before ( albeit many years ago) and it was tough luck if you needed anything on Christmas Day, or Christmas Eve evening.

Plonque · 27/12/2020 00:38

I should add, were a small rural village with just one shop! There's usually a public service announcement on social from someone reporting which chemist is doing 24hrs over Christmas but it's always miles away, in the big town.

ragged · 27/12/2020 00:40

Limes in a corner shop??

Er, corner shops in my part of the world (rural East Anglia) do not stock limes.

Now in Tier 4 so even fewer places to shop.

EreLongDoneDoDoesDid · 27/12/2020 00:43

Yes, shop very close by but in London too.

Utterlyshafted · 27/12/2020 00:46

All shut round here

WorraLiberty · 27/12/2020 00:49

Yes, the local newsagent and the local offy/general store was open until about 2pm.

Most takeaways were open too, as quite a few people prefer Indian/Chinese etc to a traditional Xmas dinner.

WorraLiberty · 27/12/2020 00:50

Meant to say I'm in Greater London

WorraLiberty · 27/12/2020 00:52

@BluebellsGreenbells

If you knew the shops were closed you’d get organized and wouldn’t even consider ‘popping out’ to get some basic food stuffs.

Shop workers deserve time off.

Most of the open shops around here are run by the owners and not 'shop workers'.

Also, they're all Asian shop owners who don't particularly celebrate Christmas anyway, other than a nice meal with their families after work.

Yubaba · 27/12/2020 00:55

Medium size town here, a few corner shops and petrol stations open here, mainly owned by Asian families.
I remember sending DH to the local garage to buy D sized batteries for a toy I’d got for DD and I misplaced the ones I’d already bought. I obviously found them on Boxing Day Blush

flatpack1 · 27/12/2020 00:57

Yes here. Very large Asian community so loads of shops open. And McD of course.

Original poster
pusscatsinblankets · 27/12/2020 00:57

@BluebellsGreenbells

If you knew the shops were closed you’d get organized and wouldn’t even consider ‘popping out’ to get some basic food stuffs.

Shop workers deserve time off.

Eh? I'm not "expecting" shops to be open. I live in a very multicultural area and most of the local shop owners aren't Christian / British so don't celebrate Christmas so Christmas Day is just a day like any other to them. I'm not stamping my feet any demanding shops be open on Xmas day, they just are Hmm
OP posts:
Original poster
pusscatsinblankets · 27/12/2020 01:00

@ragged

Limes in a corner shop??

Er, corner shops in my part of the world (rural East Anglia) do not stock limes.

Now in Tier 4 so even fewer places to shop.

Haha that's just it! Limes, and fresh coriander. All readily available 7 days a week within a five minute walk of my house! I'm just spoilt Grin
OP posts:
Original poster
pusscatsinblankets · 27/12/2020 01:06

@cakebythepound1234

Oooh good idea for a thread! I'm always curious as to what Christmas is like depending on where you are in the country/world. In my hometown (which is a small one in the Midlands) you might find a corner shop open or a petrol station somewhere in the vicinity but nothing much else. We've just moved to Mexico City though and walked along a main shopping street y'day to get to our friends house for dinner - most shops were shut but surprisingly Starbucks was open, as was the Apple Mac store. Supermarkets were still open too and Uber eats still operated all day/night. Very strange for this small town girl!
Mexico City, how exciting! I've spent a bit of time in Mexico (though didn't go to Mexico City) and one of my slightly odd memories of the place was party shops that sold massive elaborate piñatas! That and lots of really lovely fresh juices. My favourite was a Vampiro,that involved beetroot Grin
OP posts:
BiBabbles · 27/12/2020 02:00

Both corner shops in walking distance to me were open. We had no need of them, but my children decided they wanted to go spend their pocket money after lunch and they found them both open (they're old enough to go on their own). One was selling slushies again which was apparently a highlight of the trip. We're in a small city in the East Midlands.

There were also dozens of takeaways open. It really didn't feel like reduced service.

CeeceeBloomingdale · 27/12/2020 02:06

There are no corner shops for miles, supermarkets were closed. I wouldn't go to a shop on Christmas day even if it were open.

Saltn · 27/12/2020 05:11

Sw London. Starbucks was open and several corner shops, including a Lebanese supermarket and butcher.

Saltn · 27/12/2020 05:12

I was surprised to see Starbucks open.

yearinyearout · 27/12/2020 05:32

Small town here and our corner shop opens Christmas Day. However, their array of foodstuffs is very limited, they focus on booze and confectionary!

NatMoz · 27/12/2020 05:45

My local one was not open. My FIL used to live in a village that had a vending machine rather than a shop so you could buy your milk/bread/toilet paper from there 24/7😅

Daisychainsandglitter · 27/12/2020 05:53

In Birmingham so could go to a corner shop easily on Christmas Day if I needed to.

Yukay · 27/12/2020 05:54

I live in the middle of nowhere! No corners hop. It's the one thing I miss, the convenience of being able to pop out and just grab something. If I don't have limes, I'm without them until the next big shop!

Roselilly36 · 27/12/2020 05:54

Our local shop was open from 9am-8pm Christmas Day, you can buy most things in there.

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