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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To wonder why we still shut all the shops at5.30?

155 replies

Lanark2 · 27/02/2016 19:31

I work all week, often sleep in at the weekend, and get my shopping mojo at about 5 on a Saturday, but then all the shops shut..why? I have so many clothes and home items from supermarkets as a result.

How have we resisted a continental pattern, when we have the darkest evenings??

OP posts:

KnobJockey · 28/02/2016 09:22

Doesn't work as full timers 9-5, part time staff 5-9. Whatever jobs need doing on a day, still need doing on a night, so need experienced staff, plus getting the shop floor tidied is a nightmare. Replenishment still needs picking, commercial actions still need completing. Managers still need to be in to lock up, supervise, speak to customers. Shop is quiet after 6-6.30, but you still need a minimum of cover in. Problem is that you need strong people in in the morning, to merchandise, etc, and then strong people in on a night to do all the other crap. So us managers and full timers end up with both ends of crap. At Christmas I was often working til 10, travelling home, then needing to be up again to be at work for 7 for delivery the next day. Customers complain that across lunch, when we are busiest, we are short staffed as everyone is on split shifts, meaning more staff, and more lunches to fit in. No-one is happy, other than the shopping center and a handful of customers!

WitchWay · 28/02/2016 09:31

I've never heard a hangover described as an emotional tide before - that's usually what happens before going to bed pissed on a Friday night

Pipbin · 28/02/2016 09:41

I don't get this "shop staff need time off too". Surely there'd just be more shifts and more staff?
But the more staff need paying more.
I've worked in a large city centre shopping mall and like a previous poster we had to open inline with the mall. There was no one ever after about 6pm. Opening later is not worth the money it would cost to staff it outside of Christmas.

Also, if it was suddenly decided that shops should open until 9pm then people would be forced to work it. All the full time staff with families wouldn't all knock off at 5 with students coming in for the late shift. They would need a manager and a couple of permanent experienced staff members.

There is more to life than shopping.

Obs2016 · 28/02/2016 09:41

I think the shops are open for long enough already. Certainly don't need to be open for any longer. YABU

LocatingLocatingLocating · 28/02/2016 10:04

I work c 8am - 6pm Mon-Friday. All my annual leave is used up on school holidays. I just accept that I never go shopping, as my DCs do a load of clubs on Saturday and by the time ive done the supermarket shop I'm done in. The LAST thing I want to do on Sunday is shopping! I just face facts that if it isn't from Amazon or Asda, it aint getting bought!!

Original poster

Lanark2 · 28/02/2016 10:19

Ok, but here's one, why when 97% of the population are employed between 9 and 5/and unable to shop, are those the main hours shops are open?

OP posts:

frikadela01 · 28/02/2016 10:32

Ok, but here's one, why when 97% of the population are employed between 9 and 5/and unable to shop, are those the main hours shops are open?

Because as others with experience in retail have already said the custom just isn't there in most areas. How many people want to work a full day at work and then go out and do a shopping trip straight after? Retailers aren't interested in peopening just popping in for one item. They want people that are doing the full on spending loads of money browsing around shopping trip. This is why so much emphasis is put on saturday shopping because that's when people have time to do that.

merrymouse · 28/02/2016 10:35

Are 97% of the population employed 9-5?

Seem to be a huge number of people wandering around my local town at this time of day - people who work locally and have popped out, retired people, people who don't work 9-5, people looking after children.

Where there is sufficient demand after 5.30 shops do open. However, it isn't efficient to extend your opening hours if you aren't going to generate more sales.

Pipbin · 28/02/2016 10:42

Ok, but here's one, why when 97% of the population are employed between 9 and 5/and unable to shop, are those the main hours shops are open?

No, 97% of the population don't work 9-5.
All the unemployed, students, SAHM, teenagers, nurses, shift workers, retail workers who have a day off in the week, do not make up just 3% of the population.

RufusTheReindeer · 28/02/2016 10:46

Agree with merry and pip

lanark is just using that number for effect

I would also include part timers in pips post

Pipbin · 28/02/2016 10:53

That's true Rufus, part timers, the retired, school staff during the holidays.....
My parents are retired and now only shop during office hours so they don't get in the way of working people.

Pipbin · 28/02/2016 10:54

Also, if such low numbers of people were shopping during the week then the shops wouldn't bother opening week days.

IPityThePontipines · 28/02/2016 10:56

As someone who has escaped from shiftwork, I would not want to inflict it on increasing numbers of people for the selfish whim of endless shopping.

HarmonicaJones · 28/02/2016 10:57

I'd like the shops to open earlier on Sunday, to be honest. Its 11-4 round here (London) and I do find that limiting. But thats just my own selfish opinion...no idea how who workers might feel about it.

Otherwise, we have really good opening times in my area. Sainsburys is open until 8pm Mon-Sat, Tesco is 24 hours excluding Sundays, and most of the Costcutter/7Eleven-type shops are open until 11pm including Sunday. Cant grumble, really.

HarmonicaJones · 28/02/2016 10:58

how shop workers might feel, sorry

Pipbin · 28/02/2016 10:58

I'm old enough to remember half day closing on a Wednesday and no shopping at all on a Sunday. We coped. Mind you everyone was broke and there was nothing to buy.

southeastastra · 28/02/2016 11:03

Am with the OP our opening hours are a bit odd

fakenamefornow · 28/02/2016 11:04

Isn't most of it to do with local planning laws dictating what type of business can open when?

Andrewofgg · 28/02/2016 11:09

No. Councils are supposed to enforce the Sunday Trading Act but it is the same all over E and W.

AdriftOnMemoryBliss · 28/02/2016 11:11

because you live in the arse end of the arse end of nowhere?

Hell, even i live in the arse end of nowhere, and our stay open til 8 on a thursday at least

thecatfromjapan · 28/02/2016 12:28

I'm finding it interesting that a lot if people are saying that you can just shop on -line.
That has surprised me.
It suggests that the 9-5 hours of trading ARE inconvenient for a lot of people and it's one reason for the popularity of on-line shopping.
That has to be bad for the traditional High Street.
As I said, I live in London and there is enough custom here to keep shops open late into the evening/night. I've always thought that , if there was a demand for it, shops would stay open, therefore, outside of big cities, there just isn't a demand.
I'mcfinding it an eye-opener that there IS a demand, and that demand is/has turned to on-line shopping.

That makes me a bit sad because I love 'real' shops.

frikadela01 · 28/02/2016 12:42

I'mcfinding it an eye-opener that there IS a demand, and that demand is/has turned to on-line shopping.

I think the point is that there isn't enough of a demand. All the people on this thread that say they would use late night shopping realistically how many times a year would that be.

As for the death of the traditional high street. I think councils charging a fortune for parking combined with competition from out of town shopping centres have a lot more to answer for than limited opening hours.

Organon8 · 28/02/2016 12:55

My local shopping centre closes at 4.30pm every weekday and then they complain that they are struggling. Working people have no opportunity to shop there in the week.

The green grocers starts taking everything inside at 4pm and if you dare try to go inside to buy something they just sigh and look annoyed

No wonder people prefer online shopping.

They are driving customers away with their attitude and their short opening hours.

Natsku · 28/02/2016 13:24

Shops (apart from small independent shops usually) are open until 9 during the week here in Finland and they used to have to shut at 6 on weekends but this year they've deregulated shopping hours and some shops are now staying open until 8 or so on weekends too so I guess there must be demand for it. Probably helps that online shopping isn't so big here - you can't do your food shop online so everyone has to go to the supermarket and its common to go after work.

NotMeNotYouNotAnyone · 28/02/2016 13:26

I predict in most shops that extended opening hours there would be a "trial" where existing staff were spread thinner or did more hours to cover. Then this would continue indefinitely when the shop doesn't make enough money to justify the extra staff it needs.

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