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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to hope they keep the extended shopping hours on a sunday

303 replies

hawaiiWave · 13/08/2012 13:30

I am a bit of a loser shopaholic and I love the current extended shopping hours on s Sunday, my local town centre shops are now open 10-6. I love drive,but it seems to help traffic congestion too, as shoppers are less concentrated.

Aibu to wonder why there is a restriction in the first place?

OP posts:
spoonsspoonsspoons · 13/08/2012 15:01

Actually if shops opened 3pm-9pm on a Sunday that would be perfect. Lie ins and most of a day for the shopworkers, shops open to get what you need ready for the week ahead.

VolAuVent · 13/08/2012 15:01

YABU. I don't want to see all the days start to become the same. I like Sunday to be more restful, with less traffic, most people not working etc. I think for the general health of the nation it's important to have some time off which most people have at the same time.

NovackNGood · 13/08/2012 15:05

Vol au vent your right. Close all airports and ferry terminals and only 999 calls to be answered and no need for buses or tubes then??? Or were you thinking Sunday would be a good day for the safari park and the cinema etc.

If the theocrats think they'd get more in their churches by making Sunday the most boring day of the week by far I think you all need to realise that nobody is that bored that they will suddenly fill the empty pews if there is nothing else to do.

Denise34 · 13/08/2012 15:06

It's nothing to do with religion. It's to do with the mental health of the nation. People need a break and some peace and quiet.

TitsalinaBumSquash · 13/08/2012 15:06

Wouldn't It create more jobs if the shops opened longer? I mean sure they would be part time hours but as an older teen a 4pm onwards shift on a Sunday would have been ideal, earn money and still not miss most the weekend, plus it would have fit in around school/college..

I'd like I to stay personally, I like the convenience of Tesco being there to pop into anytime I need/want anything.

NovackNGood · 13/08/2012 15:07

They get that on their days off.

OutragedAtThePriceOfFreddos · 13/08/2012 15:24

Denise, they do restock shelves on Sundays you know!

MarysBeard · 13/08/2012 15:35

I'd love supermarkets to be able to open at normal times on Sunday. It seems very uncivilised in this day and age to come back from a weekend away or day trip and think "I'll just pop to Sainsbury's...except they closed at 4pm".

MarysBeard · 13/08/2012 15:36

Also stupid when convenience stores can open all hours.

saggarmakersbottomknocker · 13/08/2012 15:45

I'm not religious at all but I don't agree with Sunday shopping.

And re 'No one has to work on a sunday. You can opt out'. That's not strictly true. Existing employees can opt out but new employees often have no choice. If you're not willing to work Sundays you won't get the job.

And it will be the death of small business.

Be Christmas Day opening soon. Fan-bloody-tastic Hmm

nittyclitty · 13/08/2012 15:45

For those who don't want them extended so that families can have walks etc., I presume you don't go to coffee shops or eat out or go to museums on Sundays then?
Or are you selective about what should be open on Sundays.

Boggler · 13/08/2012 15:51

I personally don't want to see shops open any longer than the current 10-4, the government are trying to sneak in extending the hours via the back door excuse of the Olympics. I'm not religious so my objection is not due to this, but I feel that the current rules are perfectly adequate and do go someway to protect shopworkers from being forced working on the day the rest of us take for granted as a day off. There is only so much money you can spend so the argument of longer hours stimulating the economy is extremely flawed.

McHappyPants2012 · 13/08/2012 15:52

Be Christmas Day opening soon. Fan-bloody-tastic

by me McDonalds, local cavery, the top shop and the post office is all opened christmas :)

Original poster
hawaiiWave · 13/08/2012 16:08

Doesn't the shops being open longer help them vs internet shopping? The internet is open 24/7.

OP posts:
MadeleineAlright · 13/08/2012 16:08

Of course. Sunday is to do with religion loony

Denise34 · 13/08/2012 16:08

The post office opened on Christmas day? I find that hard to believe.

McHappyPants2012 · 13/08/2012 16:10

Denise it is owned by people who don't celebrate Christmas, so they open up. The post office is opened 6am to 6pm every day

HecateHarshPants · 13/08/2012 16:12

sunday is just another day. As long as people get days off, does it matter? Why should we be expected to do bog all on a prescribed day of the week?

If I want to have Tuesday as my lounge about day, why shouldn't I? If I want to shop at midnight on Sunday, why shouldn't I? If the person who is serving me at midnight on Sunday has Wednesday off, what's wrong with it?

I must be missing the point. As usual. Grin

nittyclitty · 13/08/2012 16:16

"shopworkers from being forced working on the day the rest of us take for granted as a day off."

Honestly I don't think some people get the big picture. Already nurses, carers, Caterers, cleaners, train drivers to name but a few work on Sundays. If supermarkets opened longer hours it would actually benefit some of our fabulous shift workers.

There has never been a special rate for people in these industries as far as I'm aware.

It seems ridiculous to accept and use services from current Sunday workers on the one hand like pubs and restaurants but be anti only one specific group of workers working longer hours on Sunday on the other. It's a bit hypocritical. Unless of course you never go out to pubs or eat Sunday lunch or evening.

expatinscotland · 13/08/2012 16:17

YANBU! Assuming all retail workers have families or don't want to work weekends or bank holidays is ridiculous, too.

I lived in a country with extended shopping hours and volunteered for later shifts and weekends to have more time off during the week. Met plenty of colleauges with families who did this, too, to swap shifts with their partner and save on/avoid childcare costs.

Sabriel · 13/08/2012 16:18

Clearly I'm writing invisible posts again. Even long-standing staff can't opt out of Sundays, because they won't guarantee to give you the hours on another day. They don't just say "oh that's OK you can do your hours Monday to Saturday".

Sabriel · 13/08/2012 16:20

The person serving you on Sunday may well have Wednesday off, but their children don't.

Perhaps we could solve this problem by having schools open at weekends so that shift workers could spend time in the week with their children? How about that teachers?

EasilyBored · 13/08/2012 16:21

I wonder what the ratio is actually; with even banks being open longer hours and taking into account everyone who works shifts, are those people who work 9-5 Mon-Fri actually in the minority now?

nittyclitty · 13/08/2012 16:21

Sabriel

You may have wanted to work weekends as a waitress but there would have been plenty of people working weekends as waitresses who didn't want to work weekends.

LadyBeagleEyes · 13/08/2012 16:22

Exactly what I think Hecate.
I don't think Sunday is any different either. As I said above, people in the hospitality industry have always worked weekends. I worked for the SYHA for many years when Fridays till Sundays and bank holidays were our busiest times.
I bet all the people who want nice quiet Me time on Sundays use the hospitality industry.
Having said that, it's a moot point in Scotland as our retailers aren't tied down by the same trading laws.