to hope they keep the extended shopping hours on a sunday

[hawaiiWave]

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?

I don't really nitty. Because sadly my dh and kids are working most often.

And as I said before why does it have to be one in all in? Just because the pubs open and the museum opens doesn't mean retail has to follow suit. How will all day opening of big retail outlets affect those businesses? People can't be in two places at once - if they're working or shopping they won't be in the museum or having lunch in the pub or in the cinema.

We used to be a nation of shopkeepers - soon we'll just be a nation of shoppers.

But you can still opt out even if your contact is 8-8 6 days a week. You just have to give written notice 3 months before opt out and be prepared that your day off will always be the sunday. They cannot take away your right to opt out as it is part of employment law.
Loads of people have opted out where i work (large retailer) and they never have any problem staffing a sunday as there are always plenty who still wish to work it

I luckily work for a retailer which has sensible opening hours anyway

and yes I meant sensible for the workers

soon we'll just be a nation of shoppers.

We aren't though. Retail sales are way down while online is doing better. A lot of bricks and mortar shops have got to try a lot harder or they will go to the wall also.

Plus the fact we pretty much have to be shoppers unless you want to go back to hunting and gathering or subsistence farming.

It's not against employment law to terminate employee's contracts and take them back immediately under new T&Cs.

Saggar
I responding to those who said that the reason that shops should not extend hours on a Sunday is because it's a family day etc etc. The irony that family days out can often rely on Sunday workers seems to be lost on many posters.

Seriously Marysbeard? You think we aren't a nation of shoppers? My local shopping centre had CCTV of people peering through its locked doors on Christmas Day. And is online shopping not shopping?

Hahaha! Forcing the working classes to have even crappier working conditions is part of the class struggle. I've heard it all now.

These are the same supermarkets which exploited the working classes as slave labour, aka workfare.

Arise workers! You have a world of spending money 24/7 (which the supermarkets will then try to avoid paying tax on) to win!

Also, just because some people have been shafted by their employers, doesn't mean we should all start tugging our forelocks. It means we should stick together and support each other.

The bottom line is retail is now most definitely part of the leisure industry. I cannot think of another leisure related business that does not open Sunday for long hours.

I know many independent shops which close Mondays and do half days Wednesday and open Sunday for as long as they are allowed...why?.. because the demand is there. Then they close and the catering establishment carry on reaping the benefits of people off work with money to spend.

I am fully aware of the negative life implication for people doing weekend work and I also realise that not ALL shops will be busy extending hours on Sundays but for those that would be then they should do it. The option should be there.

Hahaha! Forcing the working classes to have even crappier working conditions is part of the class struggle. I've heard it all now.

These are the same supermarkets which exploited the working classes as slave labour, aka workfare.

Arise workers! You have a world of spending money 24/7 (which the supermarkets will then try to avoid paying tax on) to win!

Also, just because some people have been shafted by their employers, doesn't mean we should all start tugging our forelocks. It means we should stick together and support each other.

It's not lost on me nitty. But for every retail shop that opens longer on a Sunday that's less footfall through another business in the leisure sector.

Not necessarily saggar

It's not a zero sum game between catering and retail I don't think. There are too many variables on why and where people spend.

It may be the difference between someone spending money online and surely that can only be a good thing.

The most serious threat to physical shops is the internet. They already have an advantage in price comparison ability, comfort of the arm chair and 24/7 shopping hours. If more people are kept physically shopping then that can only be a good thing surely.

'I would take the view that big business exists to make a profit at any cost (any cost to us that is) and it is our responsibility to fight our respective corners in order to try and preserve some quality of life and autonomy for ourselves, and our colleagues and children.'

And we're doing that by keeping one particular day of the week 'sacred'. Because unless you 'keep holy the Sabbath', it's just another day of the week.

When I was a student, I lived in a place with extended hours. I loved it because it meant more hours for me to work when I wasn't in lecture and earn £££.

Not all workers are mums and dads of young children. Plenty have other commitments during the week and don't mind the ability to do most of their money-earning at the weekend.

Or they swap shifts with someone to avoid childcare costs. Again, more hours to work at the weekend and maximise earning.

Spot on expat.

My last point

I wonder what the percentage of on line sales versus physical sales would be if we still lived in the 60-70's when shops closed at stupidly early hours, no weekends and half days.

Society moves on and no matter how much it will effect workers surely it's better the industry still has outlets to offer jobs from.

"Forcing the working classes to have even crappier working conditions is part of the class struggle. I've heard it all now. "

the huge majority of my sunday co-workers were teenagers from naice MC families.

stop talking twat.

"I cannot think of another leisure related business that does not open Sunday for long hours."

The leisure centres round here have reduced hours at the weekends. Seems they don't want people keeping active over the weekend.

Edgar - The plural of anecdote is not data.

Yanbu. I have also loved the extended hours, it made Sunday mooching round shopping centres more of a day out and less rushed. I hope the law changes soon.

Im with the posters who said that if they extend Sunday opening hours they should open schools and nurseries on Sundays too. And im not a parent but i do know how hard decent childcare is to get. And peoples DHs are often working Sundays too so cant look after the DCs.

If a "day out" is a trip to a shopping centre, you must lead a very sad life indeed. Shopping is not a "leisure activity"!

Denise, the way I do it counts as leisure! Pleasure you can't measure.

"GothAnneGeddes Tue 14-Aug-12 19:13:53
Edgar - The plural of anecdote is not data."

you made an even greater generalisation - that all shop workers are WC without even the basis of an anecdote.

lots of people do shop work - there are lots of kinds of shop!