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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think shops should be open longer Sundays

432 replies

Habba · 03/12/2018 07:07

We aren't a religious country, churches are empty and it would be great to do the weekly shop at 6-7pm on a Sunday when the children are in bed.

Dragging them around busy shops during the day would give me more family time.

Scotland manages just fine, people up there find it bizzare the government forces shops here to close.

OP posts:
The80sweregreat · 03/12/2018 11:02

No way ! Poor retail staff need some breaks and they probably use that time after four on Sunday to restock the shelves as well so people still have to work! I think shops should be open less but that's a view many wouldn't agree with.

CaptainShark · 03/12/2018 11:03

@Jeanclaudejackety yea in winter we couldn't go on walks, it used to reach minus 10 degrees sometimes so walks were a big no! But people without families used to go see friends/other relatives, people volunteered their time (Befrienders at nursing homes etc) it just created a really lovely community feel

Tomorrowillbeachicken · 03/12/2018 11:04

I agree. Manufacturing is mostly twenty four hours and the workers there have to deal with it yet shops are somehow singled out as special and need special consideration.

Mrskeats · 03/12/2018 11:05

Yanbu. Pubs, cinemas, restaurants etc are open so what’s the difference?
They should be doing all they can to compete with internet shopping.

Mrskeats · 03/12/2018 11:05

Before anyone has a go I work at the weekend to meet my clients’ needs.

sally4ever · 03/12/2018 11:10

Come to Norther Ireland. It's even more shit - shops don't open until 1pm on a Sunday

Nothing could convince me to move there based on that info! 😂

The80sweregreat · 03/12/2018 11:12

I also believe that chain restaurants should shut earlier ; no need to be open from 11am to 11pm although I can there is a demand for this. Our chippy closes at 9.30 that's an adequate time to close up.
Some fast food places are 24 hour ; complete madness then they wonder why there's an obesity problem.
Just my opinion : big business would not agree

kalinkafoxtrot45 · 03/12/2018 11:12

I live in Germany and all shops are shut on Sunday here, except for petrol stations and shops at airports or rail stations. They’re closed on public holidays too, and in the countryside many places close at lunchtime on Saturday and don’t open again till Monday. It needs a bit of planning but everyone copes. It does help that most workers finish up early on Friday.

TheLittlestLightOnTheTree · 03/12/2018 11:13

Our company have a Sunday opt out

So optvout if you don't want to work Sunday.....you lose a portion of your contract though

Kazzyhoward · 03/12/2018 11:19

It does help that most workers finish up early on Friday.

Presumably except retail workers!!! So the same "unfairness" arises, but on a different day!

Babdoc · 03/12/2018 11:20

I live in Scotland. My church is well attended every Sunday, and so are the local supermarkets. It’s handy to be able to do your weekly food shop on a Sunday evening when it’s quiet, if you’ve been out for the weekend, or just back from holiday for example.
I don’t think opening shops on Sunday suddenly causes people to stop being Christians or desert their church!

Stefoscope · 03/12/2018 11:21

'Many customers already have unrealistic expectations of the level of service they require from retail assistants'. I'm fascinated by this - what kind of unrealistic expectations?

To be allowed to come behind the counter to view items, when there are signs saying it's not allowed. We got a 1 star review for that despite the staff politely offering to pass the items over for them to see and help them find what they're looking for. We're a small store and they're is only so much space to fit everything in and we put easily stealable items behind the counter.

Another expected to be allowed to sit in our store and open items they'd purchased from a competitor (we sold the same item cheaper anyway) without buying anything from us. When we politely asked them to put the items away or pay a nominal table charge they bombarded us with messages on social media about how we discriminated against the mentally ill as they have anxiety.

We were also reported to environmental health as the toilet paper had run out. We'd checked the loos earlier in the day and they were fully stocked, so someone had presumably nicked the roll. Of course we were supposed to somehow know this. Obviously if they'd have asked at the till we would have replaced it straight away!

jomaIone · 03/12/2018 11:23

How much of a break do you all think retail staff need??? They really don't worl every single day. They'll have rotas and scheduled days off and guaranteed days off.

What about the families who work 9-6 Monday to Friday, then it's kids tea time and bed time, then it's tidy up, then a bit of couple time to relax, then Saturdays are full of kids birthday parties, social activities, visiting families so you've only got Sunday to get sorted for the next week. And the shops are always so so busy and stressful. If open longer there would be a much nicer atmosphere and maybe retail staff wouldn't be run off their feet with everyone rushing about.

Also then retail staff would get days off in the week which if you ask me is a joy. Shops are quiet, traffic is less. Just a nicer day to get your shit together when it's not manic.

People need to get with the times. We need 24/7 living because that is what the current lifestyle is like. Many people work shifts, and weekends, evenings, nights and the economy needs to reflect that.

combatbarbie · 03/12/2018 11:26

Could be worse, could live in Europe, where in majority of countries no shops are open on Sundays

Gromance02 · 03/12/2018 11:27

I don't even think retail staff get extra pay for working on a Sunday do they? I'm sure they used to? Greedy big corporations.

Gromance02 · 03/12/2018 11:29

Could be worse, could live in Europe, where in majority of countries no shops are open on Sundays Where they have their priorities in order in this instance. My local town is so busy at the moment - no doubt buying tat that they don't need for Christmas.

NC4AntiOuting · 03/12/2018 11:33

Pity the poor retail workers who are continually asked to do more and more

In fact, due to quirks in the National Insurance Contribution (NICs) laws, many retail workers (and others) are deliberately capped at 16 hours per week to that large employers of such staff can avoid Employer's NICs.

seventhgonickname · 03/12/2018 11:35

Supermarkets may yet cut hours open.They are businesses and with the increase in home deliveries are selling less in store so they either cut staff or cut hours.
16 yr olds around here can easily get evening/weekend jobs in supermarkets as they are paid so much less than adults
I have never had the need to shop all day Saturday and Sunday.

TheLittlestLightOnTheTree · 03/12/2018 11:37

No gro no extra pay for Sunday working, was abolished few years ago now. Not for us anyway

It's not really affected us,Sunday just another working day. In my team I find it's the mums who prefer to get their hours in on a Sunday as helps with childcare if dad is at home

wheelygo · 03/12/2018 11:38

YANBU. I live in Scotland and earn most of my money from weekend shifts. I’m a student so have limited availability and wouldn’t be able to pay my bills without a my Sunday shifts. The other workers in on Sundays are all students aswell, also with limited availability.

wheelygo · 03/12/2018 11:41

What about shops closing on a Thursday or a Friday instead, so I can still attend my classes but also afford to have my heating on? That might work.

Thesnobbymiddleclassone · 03/12/2018 11:49

I've never heard of people finishing up early on a Friday and no I don't work in retail wyy is Friday or Sunday so different to the other dya sin the week.

FaFoutis · 03/12/2018 11:50

YANBU

Dontsweatthelittlestuff · 03/12/2018 11:57

If there was large amounts of money to be made by opening Sunday evenings I am sure the supermarkets would have pushed for it long ago. But I don’t think they would make a significant extra sum. People who choose to shop on a Saturday night but swapped to the new hours of Sunday night would still be spending the same as would everyone else. There would be very few extra shoppers appearing and they would just be spreading their normal takings over extra hours they had to pay staff for.
I have worked retail, a none food shop who tried later opening in the evening. The takings did not increase but the overheads did. Now they don’t do extended hours even over Christmas as financially there is no gain in it for them.

TheLittlestLightOnTheTree · 03/12/2018 11:57

I also think public transport should be a full service all 7 days

The 'weekend' as we know it is changing.....there is no 'fri-yay' for many of us... no weekend. Personally I love my weekday days off.