Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think they should abolish Sunday trading hours/ laws?

131 replies

DobbyLovesSocks · 18/02/2018 17:57

So I've just realised that I am out of pop socks for work, not a major disaster but something I would normally think 'oh I'll pop down to Asda and grab a new box' only its now nearly 6pm on a Sunday and all the shows are now shut.
I get that Sunday's are precious and all that jazz but in this modern day of 24 hour supermarkets and shift working etc etc is it not time we thought about the fact that come 4pm on a Sunday if you haven't bought what you need, you need to wait until tomorrow. Yes I could probably be more organised etc
Am i in a minority and therefore being unreasonable??

OP posts:
Sallystyle · 18/02/2018 19:12

I am very much in favour of no trading on Sundays. It should be a day of rest and family time.

What is so special about a Sunday anyway? It's just another day of the week. People who work weekends have to fit in family time and a day of rest when they can. As long as you get one day off at the least it doesn't really matter what day that is does it?

Eggzandbacon · 18/02/2018 19:13

I'm just glad we have a supermarket local shops now. I remember having to remember to go buy milk before 4pm on a Sunday (hungover usually) or we would run out.
I don't think they need to open more - I hate the fact stuff now opens on Easter Sunday

helloeverylaydy · 18/02/2018 19:17

not sure if this has been said earlier, but the SNP stopped the opening of the sunday trading hours in England and wales last year. don't blame tories (sorry) but labour and SNP stopped the widening of the hours. my first post but not my last!

CaMePlaitPas · 18/02/2018 19:18

No - people in retail deserve an early afternoon finish to spend as they want. A 24 hour society in which people work all the time isn't something that we should want.

2b1c51 · 18/02/2018 19:20

Totally agree. Used to live in Scotland where they have usual opening hours and it was such a shock and took several years to get used to Sunday trading in England. Also when your kids are early risers (4am..sob) it's a bloody long time to wait till things open at 10am!

TheHobbitMum · 18/02/2018 19:23

Nope! I work in retail and like that I know its the one day of the week I'll be home while my kids are still awake and able to spend time. With them

AuntMatilda · 18/02/2018 19:23

Citing 'Family Time' yes I like to go to the pub with my family on a Sunday, nevermind the people who work there, they don't have families obviously. Or a restaurant.
As already said, what about those who are lonely and want to interact with people, okay every day apart from Sunday even though we're no longer a society closely affiliated with religion of sacredness.

What about people who could benefit from having a couple of extra hour's work on a Sunday when usually if lumbered with a Sunday shift, they're limited to 6 hours?

Lockheart · 18/02/2018 19:24

The Waitrose and Sainsbury's on my high street are open til 10pm on Sundays, and the Tesco is open til 11pm!!

Given the proliferation of online shopping nowadays, there's even less reason to abolish Sunday trading hours. Not when you can do your shopping any time you like and have it delivered nearly any time you like.

I just don't see the fuss Confused most places are still open for at least 5 hours on Sundays. It's only smaller / more specialist shops that close on Sundays now. Everything is open round here, even dry cleaners.

Just do your shopping in those 5 hours, surely? Or on Saturday? Or on literally any other day of the week. Or online, at your convenience.

AuntMatilda · 18/02/2018 19:30

lockI think the OP was more referring to those times when you've done your usual shop and have forgotten something or have just realised you need something, rather than being unable to shop during the week.

Where I live, we have a convenience store open until 10pm. If for example, a friend wanted to pop over for a chat and I wanted to go get some nibbles or a bottle of wine, any other day It's no issue. Sunday I have to go to this one place and its' extortionate with limited choices.
It just makes no sense. It's no different to any other day now.

latebreakfast · 18/02/2018 19:35

I find it bizarre that the shops are open long hours during the week with hardly anybody in them, then short hours on Sunday when they are packed out. Perhaps the restricted opening hours could be moved to Tuesday? Who wants to shop on a tuesday?

Original poster
DobbyLovesSocks · 18/02/2018 19:42

I see it's a bit of a mixed response, some in favour some not.

I actually meant to post this a couple of weeks ago; I'd been out all day Saturday with family and most of Sunday and managed to dash to Asda to get my shopping done ( albeit it a very small shop to get me through a few days) and was kicked out at 4pm. With working M-F and having various after school clubs /activities to ferry my son to and from, weekends are really my only time to shop and if we make plans as a family or want to go anywhere I have to factor them around getting the shopping done.
I just need to be more organised I guess

OP posts:
NailedOn50 · 18/02/2018 19:44

YANBU the only people would would sign up to work on a Sunday are those for whom it would be convenient - in a modern society it’s ridiculous that you can’t go to a supermarket at 17:05 on a Sunday.

LondonHereICome · 18/02/2018 19:49

Shops also need time to clear up the mess from a busy weekend and to re stock. Even though we close at 4, most of us are on Rota til 5 or 6 in order to prep for Monday

No night shift replenishment at the weekend

JenniferYellowHat1980 · 18/02/2018 20:11

The family day argument doesn't hol such weight when the shops are open 10-4 anyway, so workers still miss the opportunity to join in with family activities.

helloeverylaydy · 18/02/2018 20:11

our local Tesco was 24h, now only 6am til midnight. I'm awake at 3.30ish (shit I know) and used to go out at 5, but they still don't restock until about 10 or 11am. The SNP deliberately blocked this in the last parliament to stop English shops competing with theres - google it!

UpstartCrow · 18/02/2018 20:15

I personally wouldn't mind either way, but I don't think it makes any difference what the law says and why, there are a lot of employers and managers who will just do what they want.

Rufustherenegadereindeer1 · 18/02/2018 20:17

never understand the argument that it’s unfair to ask retail workers to work late on Sunday because they should be able to spend more time with their families. But it’s ok for people who work in cinemas, pubs, restaurants, hotels, theatres, petrol stations, Tesco express etc to work till late on Sunday? What about their right to family time?

Has anyone actually said this...at all

I work in retail and don't usually work Sundays, I enjoyed the last one i did because it was nice to leave on time...tills had to be shut off due to legal stuff Grin

Rufustherenegadereindeer1 · 18/02/2018 20:18

And what merryshitmas said

greendale17 · 18/02/2018 20:18

YABU

I know plenty of people that look forward to Sunday being a ‘day of rest’ when they have a family day because there’s time available outside of normal working hours.

^This

Iggi999 · 18/02/2018 20:19

I have just googled that and the reason given in the guardian is that Scottish workers currently get higher payon a Sunday - if opening was the norm in England and Wales this would have changed/been under threat. You might still not agree with it but there is an argument to be made that they are there to support their constituents.

cindersrella · 18/02/2018 20:20

I think Sunday's should be rest days. I hated working them...

cindersrella · 18/02/2018 20:20

Can't you go earlier in the morning and get some?

overnightangel · 18/02/2018 20:22

YABU
I work in care and do same hours regardless of the day.
Plenty of people out there getting fucked over by zero hrs contracts who’d be glad of extra hours, more business, better for the economy etc

alltoomuchrightnow · 18/02/2018 20:30

Exactly, Overnight..I have two ZHC jobs and I'm glad when offered Sundays
Also I don't buy into the 'Sunday is family time'. Most people I know work Sundays. I've done them for about 20 yrs and DP has always worked most of them.. as do his friends (music industry). For a long time when I was single and depressed due to infertility I was happy to work them and not be alone at home reminded of 'family time'. Sundays off always rubbed it in. For years Ihad Mon/Tues off and that was my weekend (as I worked Wed/Thur/Fri/Sat/Sun) and I loved being off work when shops were quieter etc.. and better for doctor's appointments etc. Obviously I prefer seeing friends on a sunday but they'd either be busy with kids, or working too (retail, care work, hospitality etc)
What about the people with no family/ shit family / estranged family/ family on other side of world. In fact out of all my friends I can only name one couple for whom Sunday is normally family time..they really are the exception. I'm thinking of everyone in mine and DP's joint and separate circles and they all work most or every Sunday. Flexible working is a really good thing. Also it's great to have a day off in week the same as DP or friends to do something without the usual weekend queues/ traffic

Whatshallidonowpeople · 18/02/2018 20:30

Do you want to pay the additional cost in the items you buy? Or work the hours? No one will have any more money to spend so it will just be increased costs

Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.

Join Mumsnet Log In

This thread is closed and is no longer accepting replies. Click here to start a new thread.