Should they change the Sunday Opening Hours?

[Tilda77]

Just that really..DH and I were then pondering going to the supermarket but have no mood at the moment and time is running out as they shut at 4pm.
I was just wondering what others thought of this law that large shops are only allowed to open for 6 hours on a Sunday? We would probably have gone to the supermarket a little later if that was an option. Some people may like to work on a Sunday to be able to earn some extra wages? Does anyone think it's time to change the laws or do you think they should stay the same ?

Sorry, @ Carefreeme, I have to disagree with the ‘ if not all ‘ statement. I have lived in Europe, Middle East , US , Canada , England & home in Scotland.
Germany & Norway had limited Sunday opening, other than IKEA which was open in both places. Everywhere else I lived, other than Essex, had Sunday opening ( or Friday in Middle East).
People rested , observed religions ( assiduously so in the US) , etc, and shopped as they needed.
I am not saying that England should open, but it’s not true to say all other countries observe shortened opening hours on holy days.

Shopping isn't a leisure activity.

It absolutely is for some people. Have you seen the malls or the big supermarkets on a Sunday?

Which countries are you thinking of?

It's an outdated law that needs to be changed.

In some parts of Germany shops are definitely shut on a Sunday.

I don't see a problem with it at all. People who get angry when shops are shut have serious problems in their lives. They have 6 days a week, and 6 hours on Sunday to go shopping. What on earth do they need to buy early in the morning or later in the evening that is so essential?

So many other (if not all) countries have a day where the shops are closed and they cope just fine.

I'm sorry but I too am going to have to dispute your "if not all" statement. I'm in NZ and many shops are open on Sundays, particularly in the bigger centres, and chain stores.

I'd rather they didn't extend as I have to get up at 6am as it is. That's a lye in, some working in week have to be in at 4.30am.

A lot happens behind the scenes out of opening hours at our store, cash, delivery at 5am, date checking, cleaning fridges, stock out, putting item back customers have dumped elsewhere, tidying, evening cash up, picking and packing for online orders, broken equipment checked and reported. It isn't just a 10.30-4.30pm day

No, I don’t think the hours should be extended, I can remember Sundays with no shops being open other than the newsagents for a couple of hours to sell papers as a child, nothing was open. People coped perfectly well. The staff had a rest. Supermarkets are open such long hours in the week, it’s unnecessary IMHO. The staff want to spend time with their families/friends on a Sunday. Life doesn’t have to revolve around shopping.

I remember a thread where a retail worker thought shops should be forced to open Sunday evenings so she could go shopping then as she worked the rest of the opening hours...
She didn't seem to have grasped that her shop would also be expected to open Sunday evening then so she couldn't have gone shopping then either.

So glad we moved to Scotland where they don’t have any of that nonsense!

Absolutely they should change. On Sundays they should stay closed.

How hard is it to meet up with family and friends because people have to work everyday? Families shouldn't have to have two parents working full time to keep a roof over their heads and food in their stomachs.

Regardless of religion, there should be one day a week set aside for people to be able to get together. Emergency/essential police, hospital, prison staff,utilities should be able to have regular Sundays off to enable them to make plans.

Working on a Sunday suits many people- no reason shops should shut on a Sunday.

And the number of housewives actually available to go shopping during those times compared to modern day?
It used to be fine when the little wifey staying home used to be the norm. Now the only people able to go shop during daytime working hours are the retired, unemployed, shift workers and those who work weekends so have days off during the week

Sunday trading laws were changed in 1994, so 'little wifey' as you so sneeringly call her was probably working rather than running around at home.

When I was a student I worked in retail just on Saturday and Sunday and it’s suited me well. Retail workers are not “giving up” anything- the vast majority in the uK no longer have religious issues with working on Sunday so no reason it should be treated differently from Saturday

Completely agree with this.

It’s not usually the same staff working seven days a week (unless that’s their choice - last time I worked in a supermarket it was still time and a half for Sunday shifts, so they were quite popular with both full time and part time staff).

Those who want Sunday to be some sacred day for “quiet reflection” (?) and sitting piously at home can do so. Let the rest of us shop, eat, be entertained and earn money as we wish.

It is not a "modern" concept for shops (or work places) to open long hours though. Only in the last century or so (1800's to 1900's) were working hours modified, and then to give to manual workers a day off. Historically workers worked every day, with no days off or holiday days. No-one is suggesting we go back to to those bad old days, and everyone is entitled to days off and holidays, but I think with flexitime, and flexible working, and working from home, and Sunday not being a particularly special day for most people, it is time to move on from those outdated practices of a formal day off.

They'd make her work 7 days a week without rest days? Damn. What shop did she work in?

In the 70s plenty of woman worked, my mum included. Yet somehow we still managed shops not opening on a Sunday, no online either😏people today are so entitled.

No one works all day every day. Staff are on shifts you know!

Presumably, by "meet up", you mean at home, as of course, leisure & hospitality staff are entitled to their Sundays off too, so there'd be no cinemas, restaurants, pubs, or attractions open on a Sunday either in your "perfect world" would there?

Or do you only care about retail workers and not everyone else who works on Sundays?

"ALL" countries certainly don't have a day off. Some do, some don't. But I think England is pretty unique in having this weird restriction on opening hours. It was a breath of fresh air when we went on holiday to Scotland and shops weren't closing mid-afternoon on the Sunday. A lot more relaxed as they opened until 6 or 7 with supermarkets opening till 9 or 10.

Likewise the crazy way in which shops and supermarkets open 30-60 minutes before the official opening time for "browsing" and then you have long queues building at the tills until 11am when the tills start working. Just why? What's the point?

Glad I'm in Scotland, when I've been in a supermarket on a Sunday in England it's crazy busy because of the shorter hours. Admittedly we can't buy booze with our breakfast goods though

Sundays aren't special. Plenty of people prefer to work weekends. Why don't people choose a Wednesday to close if they feel so strongly that people need a day of contemplation?

Anyone thinking it was great in the 70s and 80s when we were all stuck at home all day Sunday is looking back with rose tinted glasses. They also don't seem to realise that by closing everywhere on a Sunday, Saturdays would become absolutely manic because it would be the only day of the week for families with school children and people who work during the week to get out and do stuff.