To think Next are horrible to their staff?

[BonnieF]

Next stores opened at 0600 this morning for the first day of their sale, which means their staff had to get up in the middle of the night on Boxing Day. I doubt they were given any choice about this.

Other retailers, e.g. M&S, Tesco & Sainsbury's opened at 0900. John Lewis /Waitrose doesn't open at all on Boxing Day.

I understand that this is the busiest time of year for retailers, and that retail staff know what they are signing up for, but surely Next's decision to open at such a ridiculous hour is both unnecessary and unreasonable?

RightsaidfrederickII Don't kid yourself. At 5.15 today I was driving past the Next near me - don't ask, not shopping related - and the car park was rammed, people screaming at each other to make space, and the queue outside the door was beyond belief. What working there was like I don't want to imagine.

Lots of people do night duties, sleepovers, earlies (6.30am start) etc all over the festive season.
These are people in essential roles though. Daft for clothes shops imo.

I used to work in the call centre and thought it was great, triple pay for pre-9am and double for the rest of the day. They did stuff like a barbeque for the summer sale, we had entertainers in one year to keep us going as well as competitions throughout the day.

The work was boring "can I take the next item number please, and size, I'm sorry that's sold out, can I take the next item number please, and size, I'm sorry that's sold out, can I take the next item number please, and size, I'm sorry that's sold out......repeat ad infinitum" always a bit funny when someone would work through all the sizes, wanted pants in a size 6 gets them in a size 20, what bloody use would they be?

Next is clever though, for some reason its sale has cult status.
They started off opening slightly earlier than others, then the other retailers opened earlier to compete, then next moved its opening time back even earlier etc...

Its just gross. Whats wrong with going out for a walk on boxing day?

I think it’s ghastly. Next should just open at a decent time.

loads of jobs have antisocial hours. I dont think its particularly horrible. Theyre getting paid for it. Why the focus on one shop?

Greedy company that won’t get my money anymore

most supermarkets have round the clock opening. Do we need to feel sorry for those staff too? Hospital staff. Shift workers? Bin men, post men.

And they will continue to be untill their staff become organised and unionised. Sadly the best places to work for (bar ones that have to protect access to a valuable workforce) are the places where unionised staff have fought and suffered for better conditions. Unless you have a skill of huge value companies will always take as much advantage of its workforce as they can.

I work at Next

8-5 today

Not too bad

Colleagues in at 5.00 though. We have to get in even earlier to open. It was a manic nightmare, rude bitchy customers and has made me even more relieved that next year I can leave retail hopefully forever when I begin my long awaited degree

I have to put up with this shit all year for minimum wage and it's not worth it.

Our nearest Tesco has recently stopped opening 24 hours.

most supermarkets have round the clock opening. Do we need to feel sorry for those staff too? Hospital staff. Shift workers? Bin men, post men.

MN bingo: you cant complain unless nobody else on the planet has it worse off than you.

Im hospital staff. I work round the clock and can be on the rota any day of the year, I dont think that retail staff should have to suck it up just because i have sucky shifts too. My sucky shifts are 100% justifiable and essential. Next sales are not!

Yes but being a doctor or a nurse you HAVE to be available 24/7 as people don't stop dying or being ill just due to inconvenient hours.. we NEED doctors and nurses to survive, bless them

People don't need to do Boxing Day shopping at 6AM ffs

My Tesco has self scanners now after a certain hour and minimum staff just in case someone can't use the self scanner

They were queuing just before 1.30am at a Next near me according to the local news. . There’s nothing in any shop that would have me on a freezing cold pavement all night.

I had my VIP slot for the Next sale last week. I got some bedding, pyjamas and a shirt for DS2.

Some delights from today, for those interested-

Sale started at 6.AM. We had no parking from 5.30 and this is a giant car park

I got sworn at

I ruined so many Christmas's today, according to customers

I almost got hit by a delightful customers spit when I informed her we didn't have a 50% off top at 4 in the afternoon as it sold out sometime 6 hours earlier

People had to queue outside the giant store as it was deemed too dangerous to let so many people in

All fun and laughter

I did have some nice customers though actually and I didn't mind working, was actually quite a lovely day

Ginger

MN bingo: you cant complain unless nobody else on the planet has it worse off than you.

Called if perfectly

GingerbreadMa DH works for one of the supermarkets so is quite familiar with working on public holidays. When he gets a public holiday off he doesn't refuse to shop to show some sort of solidarity with his downtrodden colleagues, he enjoys the day which in this case meant buying some lumps of wood and making something out of them. There is no contradiction. Working in retail means working hours which can be antisocial.

I think the rude customers are probably the worst part of it!

To all the PPs who said Next stuff is shit, I wonder what you wear? You must be oh so trendy and wear expensive gears? I went to Next today, not at 6am but after lunch just because we wanted to go out. Got myself 2 pairs of jeans that I can wear for work for £20 each, down from £45. I'm very happy with them. They are still on their sites for £45 so I think the sales items are a combination of genuinely reduced full priced items like the jeans I bought, and items they bring in specially for sales.

My SIL works on xmas and today because her line of work has to do with people's health needs. There are worse jobs out there and there are people who will appreciate the money they can make today.

Lots of other things happen on Boxing Day - one thing for example is football - and it all adds to the footfall.

@Smeaton, are you being pedantic? George or TU?

I've queued before. Been there at 2am and back home at 6.30am. Grabbed a couple of hours sleep and woke up with everyone else in the house so I didn't miss any family time. The clothes I bought (all kids stuff) are being used by probably the 10th baby in the family now so well worth it. Met some lovely people in the queue and had a good chat and a laugh then was in and out 30 mins from opening.

Haven't done it for a few years as I get a VIP slot now.

You always get these posts about the Next sale but never ones about the poor pub and restaurant staff who have to work on actual Christmas Day to serve people who can't be bothered to cook their meals.

I'm relation to how they treat their staff, their head office is local to me and I've never heard anything good about them at all.