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?!?

But why should it be the job of underpaid and overworked retail staff to fill this void?

Because 9/10 it's virtue signalling bollicks, it's dressed up in such terms as yours but then still expect taxi drivers,pub/restaurant/theater staff,call centers etc still to be available, whilst unironically flicking through Amazon et al on boxing Day whilst making out that shopping on boxing Day is a ghastly thing to do.

Not me though, I'm going to go to the boxing day races, then booked a nice country pub for an evening meal whilst telling them that they shouldn't be working boxing day in my smug "I'm thinking of the less fortunate" tone.

Because 9/10 it's virtue signalling bollicks, it's dressed up in such terms as yours but then still expect taxi drivers,pub/restaurant/theater staff,call centers etc still to be available, whilst unironically flicking through Amazon et al on boxing Day whilst making out that shopping on boxing Day is a ghastly thing to do.

Excellent point.

Ultimately people want things to do on Boxing Day and that means other people showing up for work.

Going for a meal (for example) is not a more virtuous Boxing Day activity than shopping.

And I've worked in retail at christmas. I can't say I enjoyed it but it paid the bills.

I remember the tv adverts in the 90s of the January sales.This was pre internet shopping.
I have worked on Boxing Day before, and many others did too. Walking around the town it was like a normal day sadly, even with lots of trucks doing deliveries.
We should go back to the old days when Boxing Day was a family day and shops were closed.
Besides with Amazon and eBay around, there are cheap deals on all the time, not just around Xmas time.
Making people work on Boxing Day for no extra pay or time off in lieu is wrong and should be against employment law. The unions should be fighting this.

I'm working Christmas night through to boxing day so no Christmas drinks for me! for an online retailer on the tech side.

Its not great but with 24/7 shopping, real life stores aren't going to shut and lose out on potentially a lot of money from the boxing day sales.

Also going back to shops being closed on Sundays again would be incredibly crap.

Yanbu in any way.

Agreed. Looking particularly towards Next.

Where are those people that think sale shopping at 4am on Boxing day is a good idea?

@Justanotherlurker

I don't think that any non-essential services should have to work. I also think that pubs, restaurants, etc. should be closed. I certainly won't be going out and supporting these businesses.

Also, at least some of the jobs you mentioned, such as taxi driver, are paid a premium for this day. Most retail workers are not, nor are hey given a choice in the matter.

We should go back to the old days when Boxing Day was a family day and shops were closed

What mysterious time was this?

Was it when you visited your distant relatives and your parents needed petrol, or when you went out for a meal and got a taxi, or maybe it was a time for anything other than cornershops was open later than 6pm

What mythical time was this that people are harking back to? It never existed and is nothing more than rose tinted glasses dressed up in being 21'st century 'woke'

I agree OP.

During my DDs first year at university she applied for and was offered a retail job local to her university. It was offered on the proviso that she HAD to work Christmas Eve and Boxing Day. This would have meant her not coming home for Christmas Day so she turned it down.... I know emergency services work (my DF usually missed Christmas due to this) but retail is NOT essential.

It’s not about people not being able to go a day without shopping though, is it. It’s about companies wanting to make more money. If the shops were closed, people wouldn’t go shopping, and you’re right, we’d probably all be fine. But it’s not the customers who make that decision.

I don't think that any non-essential services should have to work. I also think that pubs, restaurants, etc. should be closed. I certainly won't be going out and supporting these businesses.

I'm sure in your lifespan you have never taken advantage of things being open on boxing Day..

As you still on your moral trip, I hope you don't use the internet tomorrow or boxing day, after all it's non essential to take online payments during these next 2 days, or even keep the server's up..

Also, at least some of the jobs you mentioned, such as taxi driver, are paid a premium for this day.

Capitalism and no competition 101

Most retail workers are not, nor are hey given a choice in the matter

Not sure you understand capitalism at this point, there is a reason for taxi drivers earning more and there is a reason why shops etc are open, if it wasn't for some wanting to shop and some wanting to work it wouldn't be cost effective.

It's nothing more than virtue signalling, make sure you fill up with fuel on your drive out to the National Trust property on boxing Day, maybe grab a nice sandwich and coffee whilst you're there

It’s about companies wanting to make more money. If the shops were closed, people wouldn’t go shopping, and you’re right, we’d probably all be fine. But it’s not the customers who make that decision

Of course it is, that's the nature of business, but if there wasn't a market it would disappear, it's the hypocrisy that some are so enlightened whilst expecting there local supermarket to be fully stocked after boxing day, maybe nip out to the theatre in the next town and need petrol, it's harking back to some non existent time cloaked in a child's like rose tinted glasses.

It is virtue signalling 101, nothing more

I like Sunday opening and would like it longer.
I also like Boxing Day opening.
The problem is people don’t have the courage of their convictions.
Vote with your money. Stay out of the shops on those days. Once the big organisations see it’s not worth their monetary while, they may choose to close.

And most of the minimum wage the retail workers earn is going into taxi drivers pockets on Boxing Day.

Meanwhile in a Tesco car park somewhere

twitter.com/DontFollowStu/status/1077271606555217923

I don't go to the shops Xmas eve or boxing day, I think shops should be shut on both days. Seen lots of people moaning about parking, busy shops or online deliveries giving crap subs but there's no need to go shopping Xmas eve/boxing day! Also I don't do online sales shopping because by now I'm sick of spending money 😅

Just seen on Twitter that MCDonalds is opening!?!? Unbelievable!

Meanwhile in a Tesco car park somewhere

Not sure what some people hiring a rental car to steal some alcohol has to do with this considering it happened yesterday, as shitty as the situation is.

Because there are retail workers in the car park and they do not get paid enough to be in that kind of danger.

I don't think that any non-essential services should have to work. I also think that pubs, restaurants, etc. should be closed. I certainly won't be going out and supporting these businesses.

I think that's fine for those who have lovely snuggly christmases in their lovely homes with family and friends.

But for those who don't celebrate Christmas, don't have many family/friends, live in depressing surroundings, the idea of EVERYTHING shutting down for a few days is kinda depressing.

Getting out to the shops, a cafe, the cinema and so on is a lifeline for many.

Laurie the subject has come up on threads like this in previous years and the consensus was that retail workers arent social workers.

Helena no one said they were social workers.

But given that many, many people in this country aren't that into Christmas (for all kinds of reasons) why should it get such special status?

The county already shuts down for one day. Plenty of people don't want it shutting down for longer than that, particularly when they're not enjoying lovely times in the bosom of their family.