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AIBU?

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Original poster

About non-essential shops being open on boxing day

292 replies

NayrusWisdom7 · 26/12/2014 13:12

Just that I am sick and tired of christmas being ruined every year by having to work Christmas Eve and Boxing Day. The sales may be all well and good but someone has to give up their day to make it happen! I think if stores are to be open at all on boxing day they should be subject to sunday trading hours of 1-6 only. I'm sure fellow retail workers will agree.. Or maybe I'm just bitter?

OP posts:
Happyringo · 26/12/2014 13:17

Loads of sectors work Xmas. I don't like it but knew what I was getting into (health). Did you not know when you took the job, or have the opening horse changed in your area?

Happyringo · 26/12/2014 13:17

Pmsl - opening hours!

parakeet · 26/12/2014 13:18

Change your job.

ThrowAChickenInTheAir · 26/12/2014 13:19

Yaddnbu. I don't work in retail but I really feel for you as you have to work Sad

I bet they'd open Christmas Day too if they could. Probably will in years to come. Can't all this buying of stuff just stop for a few days?? Hmm

lemisscared · 26/12/2014 13:22

i agree with you but from a customer perspective. i don't want to but we will shortly be going into town for dd to get a few bits. i know we don't have to but we will. id rather not have the option

Elliemayclampett · 26/12/2014 13:22

I agree with you. As someone who works in a shop myself, I think the total madness before Christmas Day leaves you exhausted. You get one day off to 'relax' and then back to it.

magpieginglebells · 26/12/2014 13:23

Get a job where you don't have to work it then. Some people have limited time off work so enjoy shopping on Boxing Day.

Panzee · 26/12/2014 13:24

I thought that piles of unsold crap that have been sitting in Next's warehouses for months counted as essential items... :o

OodKingWenceslas · 26/12/2014 13:24

I'm quite happy if they don't open. Corner shops /owner run shops can if they want but no one needs Next etc on Boxing Day.

Trills · 26/12/2014 13:25

Is Christmas really "ruined" by you having to work?

moonlightsonata1914 · 26/12/2014 13:26

My shop was open Christmas day. I worked the night shift. I don't mind, I got paid really well for it.

siblingrevelryagain · 26/12/2014 13:28

I don't understand why we stillneed shops open on boxing day since the internet fulfils those with a need/desire to shop.

I've ordered some stuff for next xmas whilst sitting here in my pj's. When staff return to work, they will process my order and it will be delivered. No one has had to 'work' today in order for me to shop, so with technology being what it is, surely it's the end of Boxing Day opening?

magimedi · 26/12/2014 13:28

I am old & remember when shops didn't open on Boxing Day, nor were newspapers published. It was a lovely quiet two days & I'd be quite happy for it to go back to being like that again.

As for the poster who suggests that the OP gets another job - that's being a tad unreasonable. Jobs are like gold dust in many places at the moment.

beginnerrunner · 26/12/2014 13:29

I think shops should close on boxing day. People usually have excessive amounts of food to eat up anyway and it won't hurt to have two days without shops. Essential services obviously need to open but 48hours without shops isn't going to kill anyone.

WorkingBling · 26/12/2014 13:29

Surely there are pros and cons? I totally understand the irritation re working but I assume you get other days off when others are working? Or that there are other benefits eg flexible days for Childcare etc?

I personally don't like shopping on Boxing Day but for lots of people it's convenient.

Happy36 · 26/12/2014 13:29

Totally agree with you. There is no reason for shops to be open today. It's not necessary for people to work on a Bank Holiday to sell clothes, etc. It's not essential to shop.

Cauliflowersneeze1 · 26/12/2014 13:38

I wouldn't dream about going shopping on Boxing Day , we have another big family meal then which is really special to us

I do feel for those who work in retail , having to be cheerful and chatty , one day off then back in at 5/6 Boxing Day morning

Orangeanddemons · 26/12/2014 13:41

It wasn't that long ago when shops didn't open on Boxing Day. I'm sure Next started it with their wonderful sales, as you don't want to miss any opportunity to buy their tat.

I remember when ds was little, nothing opened on Boxing Day. He's 21 now, so I reckon it started about 12 years of so ago.

TSSDNCOP · 26/12/2014 13:42

Is the best solution that can be raised "change your job then"? Only I thought we were in an economy where jobs weren't exactly abundant Hmm

I sympathise OP. However I fear that if you were to go to any of the major shopping centres today thousands and thousands of people would secretly be wondering why they bothered disagree as it's their right, you know, to shop every single day bar two.

I do wonder why people save and save to buy their kids lovely gifts, then chose not to let them play with them but drag round a over-heated shopping centre filled with tat. And it mostly is tat because the Sales have mostly all started in mid-Dec.

It's not vital to open today or John Lewis would do it. Won't hurt their sales tomorrow one jot.

ClashCityRocker · 26/12/2014 13:43

I agree, and I'm in a job that doesn't have the risk of working over christmas. If I ruled the world, shops would shut midday Christmas Eve and reopen 27th.

I was surprised by how many local shops and off-licences were open on Christmas Day.

Tinkerball · 26/12/2014 13:43

No-one needs to buy stuff out of Next on Boxing Day, no matter how much of a "bargain" they will tell you it is. All these people queuing out in the cold all night - its consumerism and greed gone mad really.

ClashCityRocker · 26/12/2014 13:45

And it's not like Christmas Day is a relaxing day for a lot of people anyway.

Dwerf · 26/12/2014 13:46

I'm in retail and asked for Christmas Eve and Boxing day off with the offer to work NYE and NYD (I suspect all the young 20 somethings would rather be out on the town NYE anyway). I think we should shut Boxing Day. My manager agreed but the boss of the company thinks otherwise. I really don't see the need for shops to be open boxing day and think, like a pp, if they do, it should be sunday trading hours.

meandyouohyeah · 26/12/2014 13:47

OP try working in hospitality and having to work on xmas day as well.

IMO anyone who goes out for a meal on xmas day is clearly a dickhead. I don't think I could enjoy my meal, I'd have the thought in the back of my mind that all the people serving us should be at home enjoying this special time with their family too.

Alas, I chose to work in this industry so one must suck it up and gerron wi it!

Mammanat222 · 26/12/2014 13:49

I worked in retail when I was at Uni and the rota was always sorted so if you did Xmas Eve, you didn't do Boxing day.

Xmas Eve you could often be until 9pm + (shop shut at 5pm then you had to get all the sale stuff ready, lots of it would be on shop floor until moment the doors shut then it would have to be price checked / stickered and the whole shop rearranged etc..)

I remember one Xmas Eve getting in at 11pm as I'd been at work.

You just had to suck it up!