To find Boxing Day Shopping a Bit Sad?

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Just that really!

I remember growing up, EVERYWHERE shut over the Christmas period. The roads were dead. It was very peaceful.

Now, it seems that the January sales have become the 'Boxing Day Sales'! I was chatting to some of my mum's friends and they were planning on going out shopping on Boxing Day!?! How can anyone be bothered?

"Do people really go for long, country walks on Boxing Day or is this just a MN thing?"

I always see families walk past my parents' house so yes, some people do. I don't like the cold so can't go for a long walk in December. A shopping centre is much more of a draw.

Boxing day is for football

Not if your team match has been moved to the evening of 27th to accommodate TV.
Does anyone think football matches go ahead without staff coming into work?
I won't be shopping on Boxing day this year but like many others I return to work on 27th.

Not just shops though is it? It's cafes, restaurants, pubs, catering staff at football matches....they are notoriously badly paid too so where do you draw the line?

Anyway, not everyone celebrates Christmas, for religious or personal reasons. Not everyone has family to be with either.

All this family time simply isn't relevant to a lot of people.

You know what would be fun that everyone had to work boxing day everyone benifets from the 24/7 economy so offices banks and everything should be open for business all year around.

I hate shopping, but I have been incredibly busy and stressed for the last 3 months, I haven't set foot in a shop, DH did all the Christmas shopping.

I'm free until the 28th and I need things, I think I might go to the shops on boxing day.

As far as I’m concerned Boxing Day is still very much for festivities - we still have family members at ours, and spend the day watching films/“playing” with presents/having another Christmas dinner! Going out shopping seems completely bizarre to me but each to their own!

DP always takes DD to the sales on Boxing Day if he's not working. DP is a retail manager so you'd think he'd avoid it like the plague but he sees it that he's missed out on all the build up to Christmas being stuck in his shop so likes to have a browse and a little tradition with DD.

It’s sad, but many see Christmas as over as soon as Christmas Day is over. People say did you have a nice Christmas? to people ok Boxing Day, take their decorations down ( which will have been up since late November nowadays for many) and they want to get back to normality. Dec 26 - that’s Christmas over for another year mentality. Not mine as I love celebrating the 12 days of Christmas and have all the time off work but for many that’s not the case.

I'm 42 and when I was a child there were Boxing day sales.

"e still have family members at ours, and spend the day watching films/“playing” with presents/having another Christmas dinner! "

But you've been cooped up in the house together for two days now. The rows will have started.

I hate it! The shops are complete madness in the run up to Christmas.One day off and the craziness begins again. I'd prefer it if everything just shut down completely between Christmas and New Year. I know that wouldn't suit everyone, but can't we at l at have Boxing Day off?!!

My three teen boys are going shopping on Boxing Day.

They are getting money from relatives this year and one is getting nothing but money from us as well. They are really looking forward to shopping.

They will go early and get back in time to see family who are coming.

It's not something I would do, for me Boxing Day is about seeing my family or just relaxing but I understand my children wanting to get stuff as soon as possible.

i wish i had the choice this year my OHs brother has decide to host his mom for christmas so he has decided that on boxing day we will be going from halifax to preston to pick his mom up and then drive her back down to essex where she lives yes it will be nice to see his family but im dreading spending that long on one car journey

I agree OP. It seems particularly annoying that you rush around to buy presents which are then discounted the day after you give them! At the moment where I live (in Italy) the sales don't start until January and I much prefer it as nobody really shops now until the sales start so we get a bit of a break from all the consumerism.

Mumsymcmumsface Do you want public transport, electricity, water on Sunday?

Do you want fresh food on Monday morning? Some bugger has to drive it through the night.

And you can’t make overseas online traders switch off their servers on any day, can you?

YANBU

Some people use such faulty logic. Just because some people need to work on Boxing day, doesn't mean that everyone has to or needs to. We can minimize the number of people who need to.

Exactly. Gas and electricity provision - essential. Reduced telly - not essential, or at least it can wait.

I've only ever done boxing day sales once. Never again!

I decided a few years back to give my DC's money for Christmas and a couple of things to unwrap Christmas day. We then go to the sale boxing day, have lunch out and raid the fridge later. Dc's more than happy, get more for their money.

There is no rational dividing line between essential and non-essential. Petrol stations? We could fill up before Christmas and limit our travelling. Broadcasting? We could reduce it to one radio channel of recorded music with capacity to override it in emergency.

And so on.

Or we could say that people who are not working expect to be able to access leisure activities - and retail is one of them. Just like when nuclear families get together in an extended family which is too big for anyone's home they want to go to a restaurant. It's part of life .

Retail Manager here. I've got Boxing Day off for the first time in 11 years. Wahoo! The worst part isn't it being busy. Busy is good fun if there's enough staff in. The problem is all the customers that are shopping to get away from family rows. They're tightly wound already and can easily snap and take it out on store staff rather than each other. That's what makes it hard. So be nice folks!

Our corner Spar is open 8am-8pm on boxing day. Christ, what a looong shift the staff will have. No need IMHO.

I will be shopping as it's my only day off and I fancy a walk around town. I'm working Christmas Eve, Christmas Day etc and sometimes the only "tradition" I have is getting a Christmas coffee and queuing at Lush!
Every job I've had, I've worked over Christmas so no, I don't feel sorry for retail staff as such, I have empathy with them but the variety of jobs that have to work Christmas and NY... I wish I had worked a job where you got the whole Christmas off!