Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

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 some large supermarkets should be open until 8pm

387 replies

jnfrrss · 15/04/2018 21:34

Fed up of getting back on a Sunday after a busy hetic weekend and having to do my shop at a Tesco garage.

There's three large supermarkets in my town and all close at 4pm on a Sunday. Why can't at least one do an evening shift?

After being used to Scottish shops it really sucks in England. Sunday evening would be perfect for me to do a shop. I just dont like online shopping either, but if they have to work Sunday late evenings why is it so different for the shop workers?

OP posts:
ZibbidooZibbidooZibbidoo · 15/04/2018 21:50

I’m in Northern Ireland. It’s really not a problem. The shops are open all week long and if you really need milk at 6.30pm on a Sunday then the corner shop or petrol station will be open.

flowerslemonade · 15/04/2018 21:52

I once had to wait til after midnight (Sunday night - technically Monday morning) - ugh :/

Tesco express is open until 10 or 11

Grilledaubergines · 15/04/2018 21:53

Is there an option to live back in Scotland OP? Or are you tied to living in England for work etc.

I wish we could go back to the days of shops being closed on Sunday, myself.

Splodgeinc · 15/04/2018 21:54

When I worked in a shop I dreamed of Sunday’s. You knew that you had that evening and it was often just that evening at home with your family. It’s not that great a hardship. Small stores are open for the essentials if you have a milk and bread emergency and the rest you can get the next day

Original poster
jnfrrss · 15/04/2018 21:54

Agree it's infuriating! Why don't people care about the ocado drivers and warehouse workers working late on Sundays? Why only the concern for shop staff?

OP posts:
Rainysummersday · 15/04/2018 21:54

SMaller shops can open later on Sundays. I used to work in an Express store and loved it as I got paid time and a half. Everyone wanted the Sunday shifts.

Original poster
jnfrrss · 15/04/2018 21:57

Sadly I'm tied to England for at least the next 4-5 years. :(

They could close all day on Tuesday and Thursday for all I care for a break, but Sunday is such a useful day.

Lidl and aldi are never going to do deliverys either

OP posts:
Happyland8 · 15/04/2018 21:58

OP I feel your pain. Having lived in Scotland, I find the Sunday opening hours here really inconvenient. I think it's because we'll often be away for a week at a time visiting our family in Scotland and if we choose to travel back on a Sunday (to maximise the length of our trip without DH having to take any extra days leave from the following week), we get back to no food, no supermarkets open. After a long drive home, it's a bit of a pain. I understand the reasoning behind it and think it's lovely the staff are guaranteed not to have to work too long on a Sunday, but as someone who is used to 24/7 supermarkets in Scotland, it is a pain at times.

Viviennemary · 15/04/2018 21:59

It's annoying and stupid. They should just allow the large supermarkets to open when they want to instead of some daft archaic trading laws.

WhiskeySourpuss · 15/04/2018 22:00

How can that drive you insane? Its clearly not an urgent trip you’re making. Just to kill a bit of boredom.

Because I'm so used to being able to kill a bit of boredom on a Sunday evening & having a choice of shops to go to that I find it really annoying when I can't do that & I'm then stuck in the house - I could go to Tesco or Asda now if I wanted to up here.

Happyland8 · 15/04/2018 22:01

A lot of people are saying the OP is being unreasonable but if you're used to the convenience of being able to visit your local supermarket 24/7, it's hard to get used to the reduced hours.

If stores in England were open all day Sunday and then the government changed it to 6 hours, people here would struggle to adjust to that no doubt.

Deemarow · 15/04/2018 22:02

Yabu, you have 150 hours every week out of a possible 168 when you can do your big food shop at large supermarkets and convenience stores are still open if you urgently need an essential. Almost every other business or service is closed on or has restricted opening hours on a Sunday so why should minimum wage food retail staff be obliged to work it?

Bluelonerose · 15/04/2018 22:02

The small coops here are 8am-10pm on Sundays.

I personally think nothing should be open Sundays. Retail is a vile place to work so more time off the better I say.

SoyDora · 15/04/2018 22:03

Unfortunately it’s the law.
Do your shop on another day.
When I lived in Paris (granted it was 12 years ago now) barely any shops were open on a Sunday. One bakery was open near my apartment and people queued down the street for fresh bread. It was fine, I just made sure we had stuff in. I was glad people got a day off with their family.

ZibbidooZibbidooZibbidoo · 15/04/2018 22:04

I'm then stuck in the house

Because a shop is closed? Confused go for a walk? Read a book? Have a glass of whatever with your sister? Do some yoga? Have a bath? Go to the cinema?

SoyDora · 15/04/2018 22:05

Confused I’ve never been stuck in the house on a Sunday evening. Plenty of things are open, just not shops.

BewareOfDragons · 15/04/2018 22:05

I agree with you, OP. It was very hard to move down from Scotland to face the silly Sunday closing laws.

There are plenty of people who would like the hours.

user1471517900 · 15/04/2018 22:07

Yep go to the cinema OP. Because they shouldn't be closed.....

maxthemartian · 15/04/2018 22:07

YANBU. It's one of the most annoying things about England if one is used to Scotland. We keep getting caught out with it.
We are moving back soon and looking forward to shopping whenever I want.

Hillarious · 15/04/2018 22:09

There are plenty of people who would like the hours. And there are plenty of people who work in retail, like my SIL who would not.

viques · 15/04/2018 22:10

I remember when shops all closed at 5.00, many also had a half day closing and if you ran out of milk on a Sunday you had to buy a leaky carton from a milk machine.

Waitedtoolong · 15/04/2018 22:10

It’s the law of the land unfortunately OP.
Nothing to do with the supermarkets.

PrincessHairyMclary · 15/04/2018 22:10

OP, whilst till staff may not be in other store staff are. I have a relative that is in with their team from 9am-9pm on a Sunday as they are responsible for price changes all other days of the week they work 5am-3pm. The cleaners are in deep cleaning, stock takes are done, new stock is put out and sometimes staff training is undertaken.

Just do your shopping another day. I pick up a few bits for the weekend Fri evening and make sure I have bread and milk for. Breakfast on Monday, DD has school dinner for lunch and I go shopping Monday evening.

mumeeee · 15/04/2018 22:12

YABU its the law in England and Wales.
Smaller shops like Tesco express can and do open later.
My daughter lives in Switzerland and supermarkets are closed on Sundays there.

PrettyLittIeThing · 15/04/2018 22:12

My local coop shots at 5pm on a Sunday. It use to be 4pm when I first moved to my area (3 years ago so not that long) it's annoying tbh. I was cooking something and forgot to pick up an ingredient so I decided to quickly pop to the coop and it was closed, all other shops mean getting the bus so I had to leave it. Thought the coop was a "small" shop, I hate the Sunday trading law.