Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

We should all boycott Next shops Boxing Day ( well too late for today as I was fast asleep at 6 am)

198 replies

Mammajay · 26/12/2019 12:47

I just heard a husband on the radio. His wife had to work Christmas eve ( no problem IMO with that) and also had to work today Boxing Day.. She had to be in work for 5.30 a.m. for the 6am Next Boxing Day sale. No public transport and Christmas Day overshadowed with the worry of getting up early enough to get ready and get to work for 5.30am. No choice about whether to work either. Spirit of Ebenezer Scrooge IMO. Very poor Next. 0/10 for caring about your staff!

OP posts:
FlamingoAndJohn · 26/12/2019 14:08

Any Next employees on here?

They will all be at work.

PepePig · 26/12/2019 14:08

Anyone who shops on Boxing Day is a selfish pig, imo.

Misscromwellrocks · 26/12/2019 14:09

YANBU. People rushing into Next at 6am to get twenty euro knocked off some badly made jacket that's been hanging around the shop for a year are ridiculous.

Years ago the sales started in January and were genuine sales with great bargains. Now it's mainly just a load of rubbish to get gullible people back into the shop as soon as possible.

JamieVardysHavingAParty · 26/12/2019 14:11

If Next and other retail stores find it so profitable to open on Boxing Day, then they can pay their staff double rate and make it voluntary to sign up for that shift.

It's quite clear they don't do that, so I won't be going near any boxing day sales.

Roselilly36 · 26/12/2019 14:12

I agree it’s a crazy time to open, can’t make for a relaxed Xmas day knowing you need to be at work at 5:30am! Yes if you are saving lives, but for shopping, madness, I cannot believe the crowds waiting in the rain for the doors to open 😂 a fool and his money springs to mind!

girlicorne · 26/12/2019 14:15

I ve just been to ASDA as it was the nearest pharmacy open and I needed some strong pain relief. It was absolutely rammed, I just don’t understand what people can possibly need today, the shops have been closed for only one day??!! And yes the next sale is another level of ridiculousness. all non essential services should be closed today including all shops, no one is going to die if they can’t get a loaf of bread. A close family member of mine and her husband are both retail managers, they get one day, Christmas Day off with their children which is disgraceful. No one needs to buy bloody electronics today!!!

ThePluckOfTheCoward · 26/12/2019 14:16

No-body who works in retail, especially in a bog standard purveyor of very, very ordinary clothes should be forced to start work at 5.30 on Boxing when they would rather be at home with their family. It's the fact that people are forced to do this that I have issue with. It's one thing having to work over Christmas as one of the emergency services, which my DF did, but just to open a shop full of tat, give me strength.

Jinglehellsbells · 26/12/2019 14:18

Should a mumsnet boycott not be in place too? They had staff on yesterday and presumably today too.

Fluffycloudland77 · 26/12/2019 14:20

Is the fact the clothes are all vanity sized polyester shite not enough to permenantly boycott them anyway?.

The home wears dire too. There’s only so many crackly silver vases with a polyester flower stuck in it that the world actually needs.

MrsItsNoworNotatAll1 · 26/12/2019 14:22

"I will never understand why anyone would want to get up at silly O clock in the morning on Boxing Day to stand in a queue outside Next, who’s clothes are overpriced shit?

Please get a life!"

Agreed.

CoolCarrie · 26/12/2019 14:27

January sales were worth looking forward to, not the Boxing Day nonsense

Donkeytail · 26/12/2019 14:28

My dh is working today making sure customers have internet. We should also boycott the internet on boxing day.

DisorganisedOrganiser · 26/12/2019 14:31

Totally agree OP. I refuse to shop on Boxing Day. Won’t do any online shopping, go to the pub etc.

LoveNote · 26/12/2019 14:34

even if the shop was closed today retail workers could still be required in work

i work easter sunday even though store is closed by law. we clear out stockrooms,re stock shelves, clean and tidy

so be careful what you wish for.....retail staff may still need to work

Bluebutterfly90 · 26/12/2019 14:35

Having worked in a lot of customer-facing jobs, I always try and stay in during the days after Xmas. If I wasn't on maternity, I'd probably be at work today too.

It always made me laugh when customers would say "I can't believe you're open/I cant believe they have you working today!"
Like, you're here, aren't you?
If the bosses can make money, they're opening the store!
Solidarity to those at work today. X

ambereeree · 26/12/2019 14:35

I went there at 11 and felt very sorry for the poor staff. One of the ladies told me people were queueing outside at 6. Utter madness.

Heartbreaker83 · 26/12/2019 14:35

Is it so difficult to believe that some people actually like to work in retail? Many shop managers/workers who have been in the sector for years and years may have a little moan about working throughout the Xmas period but deep down they love it so do it every year.
I’ve worked in retail for years and I love it, you can bring so much cheer to others and it’s fine to have a the break once everyone has gone back to work from 27th!

sugarplumtum · 26/12/2019 14:36

As soon as someone says we shouldn't go shopping on Boxing Day to give retail staff a break someone else pipes up about hospitality staff etc.

We can't give everyone the day off but starting with retail especially as people can shop online is a start.

It's bloody ridiculous that on Boxing Day I get up to sticker sale items for people to buy more stuff after already working like crazy all over December.
Plus you wouldn't mind as much but customers are rude most the time!

DisorganisedOrganiser · 26/12/2019 14:36

LoveNote but my point is that it should be an enforced public holiday. Legally people should not be able to make their staff work those days.

Sparklybaublefest · 26/12/2019 14:37

And with so much online Sales, who actually physically needs to go to Next?

category12 · 26/12/2019 14:42

Very odd that some people suggest online shopping instead - so it's robots that pack up your deliveries, is it?

hammeringinmyhead · 26/12/2019 14:44

I work for an online retailer and nobody needs to be there today. The website changeover to sale was all tested prior (was done last week) and was done today on a timer. Same with the sale emails.

The marketing team can check from home it's all ok. Takes about 5 minutes.

I don't really think you can compare hospital staff to retail workers. People can't just not be ill/give birth/have accidents til the 27th. They can however wait to buy a reduced Christmas jumper.

AmateurSwami · 26/12/2019 14:44

Yes. I never go into shops on Boxing Day, on principle.

hammeringinmyhead · 26/12/2019 14:44

Oh and the warehouse is closed 24th-26th so no despatches!

NeedAnExpert · 26/12/2019 14:46

Legally people should not be able to make their staff work those days.

I’m not allowed to work those days by my employer. I would like to as I’d rather take leave when I want to, not for some made up festival that I don’t celebrate.