To think that all shops should be shut on Boxing Day?

[Terfing]

With the exception of a few pharmacies etc.

About ten years ago, I worked in retail as a student. We would close early on Christmas Eve and not open again until the 27th.

I have a younger family member who got a temporary retail xmas job this year. At their interview, they were told that they would have to work Boxing Day, for which they are getting no extra pay. Even worse, they have to stay late on Christmas Eve and come in early on Boxing Day to help set up the sale.

AIBU to find this very sad? Can people really not go more than one day without shopping? We could ten years ago, and nobody died! What changed?!?

Our local McDonald's is open on Christmas Day

I think we should still have Sundays as non trading days, and all bank holidays. It's so sad that we are so consumed by the need to buy. And let's face it, it's only the shit that they didn't shift in the summer. We spend BD walking the dogs, having a lovely lunch of leftovers and then watching a good film or playing games. It's a quieter version of christmas day without the pressure of cooking. I feel very sad for all the staff in retail and food outlets that are pushed into opening.

Nope. That would mean people that are most important to society (ie doctors, nurses, paramedics, carers) wouldn’t be able to do their christmas shopping. I actually think Sunday shopping hours should be scrapped like in Scotland

I work in hospitality and for the first time in a long time I have Christmas Day and Boxing Day off.
I'm beyond happy at this

restaurant staff have to work

I agree. Same with restaurants and takeaways etc. Should be more about family time and less about money.

I remember working in a DIY store whilst I was a student in the late 90s/early 2000s. Around this time, most shops were shut on Boxing Day, but DIY stores always opened on Boxing Day.

One of the managers of my store told me that a competitor decided to open on Boxing Day, so all the other stores had to follow suit.

I must admit, when I was younger, was always up early to hit the Boxing Day sales! Now, with regular sales and internet shopping, there is no need, to go shopping on Boxing Day.

"I actually think Sunday shopping hours should be scrapped like in Scotland"

DH works in retail, there have been times he's been in 11 or 12 days in a row, so I think I'd prefer Sunday trading to stay as it is so that when that happens there's at least one day when he's home before 7 pm and can actually spend time with our DS.

Retail is a shitty job for crap pay, is it really so terrible for staff to have one day when they know they'll be finishing a bit earlier?

@Terfing ii don't know about all of Europe, but in Austria and Germany, places close at lunch on Christmas Eve, but then it's often business as usual for restaurants and bars on Christmas Day. My kids have ski lessons on Christmas Day often! They start at 9am 🙈

Christmas Eve is the big one and absolutely nothing is open in the afternoon and evening that day (although they are in the morning!)

Taking away the shop angle, I adore Christmas in Austria and Germany as it's so compact a celebration. No elongated entire day and a half of sitting around eating. It's literally ONE evening and that's it. It's lovely, charming, delightful, and then back to throwing oneself off a mountain the next day.

Shops are open less in general there though; fewer hours, closed on Sundays often.

No I think shops should open I know it's abit hectic on staff but you would think the shops would never open again after Christmas it's like the apocalypse has happened and people are trying to buy as much food as they can to survive when the shops are only closed one day

Yanbu. I never shop on Boxing day. In store or on-line (never do it anyway).
A lot of public transport doesn't run either so low paid retail staff have to stump up ££££ for a taxi.

For many years I lived in an area where many shops closed on Saturdays and opened on Sundays while others opened both days. People went to pray on Friday night and Saturday, others on Sundays.

In that part of London it was always that way. However where I grew up, shops closed on Wednesday afternoons and all day Sunday, opened at 9.00, closed at 5.00 or 5.30. Women did the shopping as they had to be home to raise the children while the men went to work. Would you prefer that?

Forgot to add I wouldn't want to see what people would do if there wasn't any where to buy food for 2 days

Nope. That would mean people that are most important to society (ie doctors, nurses, paramedics, carers) wouldn’t be able to do their christmas shopping.

My parents were both doctors and managed to do their christmas shopping absolutely fine.

I agree.

When I was younger I had a holiday job at Next. We had to work late on Christmas Eve and the sale on Boxing Day, which was horrendous. We didn't get any extra pay.

Essential services, like NHS staff, will unfortunately always have to work over the festive period but it's just not necessary for retail workers.

I understand the religious freedom argument but to be honest that's true of closing on Christmas Day (and Easter). Adding Boxing Day doesn't really make a difference surely.

Most of us in this country are overweight and have cupboards stuffed with clothes, we aren't going be naked and starving in one day.

I thought the high street was dying. Boxing Day sales are probably needed to keep the shop a float.

headstone dont be ridiculous.

ASOS profits are down and they are online only.

Blaming the internet is also a red herring. Its because people have next to no/no disposable income.

And boohoo.com

www.thebusinessdesk.com/northwest/news/2034232-online-retailer-boohoo-latest-to-be-hit-by-slump-in-retail

I was watching 'Back In Time for Christmas' and was surprised at just how much was open (eg public transport on Bank Holiday/Sunday timetable) on Christmas Day itself and Boxing Day. The first year it was all shut was 1979.

So the idea that everything shuts is really a very recent one, and it seems set to be only of short duration

Stella i already knew that from catching the odd episode of On the Busses. ITV 3 tends to show it as a time filler every now and again.

Other than the supermarket (reduced hours), no shops will be open here on Boxing Day. Most are still closed on Sundays and close at lunchtime on Saturdays and Wednesdays. Very civilised.

Forgot to add I wouldn't want to see what people would do if there wasn't any where to buy food for 2 days

Amazingly, people can actually survive without going to the grocery store for 2 whole days. It's called 'planning'.

Why should your outdated notions of civility be the ones we have to live by? What’s the obsession with crawling back to the bloody fifties all the time?

I’m not planning to go out for a few days now, but that’s because I’m exhausted and trying to cope with bereavement. If I wanted to go to town, have lunch, go to the cinema, and pick up some milk on Wednesday it would be precisely none of your business. People working I retail are no more deserving of a break than any other worker, and should realise their chosen job path comes with Christmas business as well as the flexibility the rest of the year.

Yes, I’ve worked retail, and no I didn’t moan my arse off about it. I even managed to work a second job in a call centre around my retail job, festive times and non.

Don’t want to shop on Wednesday? Stay home. Don’t want to work Wednesday? Avoid retail, hospitality, essential and emergency services.