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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:
sugarplumtum · 26/12/2019 14:50

Online orders to be despatched after the 27th.
Not hard to plan that way is it.

Leflic · 26/12/2019 14:51

NeedAnExpert Bollocks would you want an enforced day at work getting up at 4am so you could chose a day leave later in the year. On minimum wage.

OneTooManyBathtimes · 26/12/2019 14:53

I hated working the sale. Had to be in extra hours on Christmas eve to prep the store, then in early again boxing day ready for the doors to open/join the mania.

The only redeemable thing was that you got first pick of any sale stuff. Once you'd set it all up you got to pick out anything you wanted and put it out back with your name on it.

I worked in the stockroom usually, so I had to empty it out and then re-sort with the new stock. I'd be pulling my hair out keeping it at a decent level of tidyness. And I'd stab my hands so much with the taggit gun I'd have plasters all.over my hands...

I'm so glad I'm not in retail anymore

DeeZastris · 26/12/2019 14:53

But if you take a lot of online orders (and you will need customer support staff and IT support scheduled on) then you will need to have more staff on the 27th to despatch - possibly more staff than you actually have in total. It’s not that simple.

Justwanttotravel · 26/12/2019 14:53

I would think people apply/accept retail jobs knowing there will be an expectation to work over Christmas. Just an idea, but if doesn’t suit maybe think about getting a different job.

RingtheBells · 26/12/2019 14:54

I can’t understand people queueing at five in the morning surely they can just get it online from Next if they want, I got a few bits and some came Xmas eve and the rest coming tomorrow or Saturday. The online sale is better anyway as it sells all the brands.

ChazsBrilliantAttitude · 26/12/2019 15:01

DH didn’t mind working Boxing Day. You got Bank Holiday rates and he isn’t Christian

gingersausage · 26/12/2019 15:07

@Donkeytail so is my daughter’s partner. He literally had Christmas Day off, and several of his colleagues didn’t even get that. That’s what bugs me about these threads. I absolutely agree that people shouldn’t need to shop, but everyone would be moaning if their internet didn’t work.

My daughter works retail and she chose to work today instead of Christmas Eve as her experience shows that people are more pleasant on Boxing Day. She’s sick of being moaned at on Christmas Eve by people trying to buy things that went out of stock weeks ago.

RingtheBells · 26/12/2019 15:10

If you take on a retail job you must know when you have to work, people that get jobs at Next must know there is the Boxing Day sale

Some places close down all Christmas week and you have to use holiday, DH had a choice of take holiday or WAH, would have been better if his workplace had just kept open all week instead of enforced holiday/WAH

zzzzzzzx · 26/12/2019 15:11

I don't understand the fixation with shops opening/not opening over xmas. My nephew is a radio producer and worked xmas day. No one says we shouldn't have radio or tv workers in over xmas. That is hardly an emergency service,

DisorganisedOrganiser · 26/12/2019 15:12

But what do your colleagues think NeedAnExpert? Everywhere I have ever worked had a few people who didn’t mind working Christmas but the vast majority hated it. So on balance best to close if at all possible. Plus yes to warehouses shutting. I am so grateful that my workplace pretty much closes.

MrsItsNoworNotatAll1 · 26/12/2019 15:13

Yanbu OP. There are 350 plus shopping days during the year so I'm sure Next and the like could be closed today and give their staff a break.

And it's stupid to compare retail to hospitals, really is.

DisorganisedOrganiser · 26/12/2019 15:14

zzzzzzzx I think possibly we shouldn’t have radio or tv either. I really think it should only be essential services available.

MsTSwift · 26/12/2019 15:16

Capitalism run riot. No one should be shopping on Boxing Day how sad. There are old films to watch, board games to play and walks to go on or spirts games to attend. Those left overs won’t eat themselves.

MsTSwift · 26/12/2019 15:17

Sports!

KnobJockey · 26/12/2019 15:17

Those who are saying about tat in stores you've never seen before, shipped in from elsewhere- it really isn't true. I worked there for 5 years, everything you put out is from your stockroom, and has been out on the shop floor for at least a few weeks during the previous season. You also mark down the shop floor the night before, so the majority of the stock is what's been selling at full price the previous day, and then the stockrooms are used to fill up. If you run out of stock completely, they will send out stock that you haven't sold out of in previous sales from the warehouse. Everything is that stores stock, but if you go in after a few days you are left with the stuff that isn't wanted.

Ninkanink · 26/12/2019 15:19

I boycott all shops and establishments on Christmas Day and Boxing Day. But for genuine emergencies (never had one yet, touch wood) I refuse to do any shopping of any kind, or participate in any activity that requires someone else to work that day to facilitate it. There is absolutely no need.

gh621 · 26/12/2019 15:20

I haven’t read the whole thread but just thought I’d say that with Next, you know from the off that would be expected to work at ungodly hours for the sale periods and if you don’t you will be sacked. I went for an interview there and that’s what I was told.

I work in retail and have been in my job for 18 years, we were closed on Boxing Day up until about 10 years ago but now we open 9am-8pm

Jinglehellsbells · 26/12/2019 15:22

participate in any activity that requires someone else to work that day to facilitate it
Mumsnet had staff on yesterday as I saw a post from one and today I assume.

DisorganisedOrganiser · 26/12/2019 15:24

I think that is appalling that MN had staff on if that is true? It’s bloody MUMSnet. Mums should be able to be with their families over Christmas.

KnobJockey · 26/12/2019 15:25

I worked there as the boxing day sales started (12 years ago ish). They started off by writing to us to say that as the traditional sale day, 27th fell on a Sunday, they wanted to open boxing day instead- the amount of footfall on a sale day would compromise both sales and health and safety if they tried to fit it all in 6 trading hours. They promised that it was a one off, and the next year would go back to 27th, as they valued their staffs happiness and Christmas times.

Surprise surprise, the sales went brilliantly, and they managed to grow profit brilliantly. They held there promise for the next year, but the year after that it was back for good. Working was compulsory, you had no say in the shifts, and it's not just boxing day but the full week after.

Ninkanink · 26/12/2019 15:25

Yes I should have said any activity outside of the house, as that is what I meant.

It’s not realistic for nobody to have to work. It’s perfectly realistic to not go shopping for two days in a row.

Plus I don’t care or necessarily judge what other people choose to do, I’m just concerned with what I do, and I don’t support retail/hospitality/any other non-essential enterprise on Christmas Day and Boxing Day.

TreeTopTim · 26/12/2019 15:26

@KnobJockey where I worked sale items where a mixture of store items and things that had been taken in especially for the sale.

U2HasTheEdge · 26/12/2019 15:26

This topic has come up countless times already, like it does every year. People who like going to the sales will continue to do so. Shops are not going to shut because it is obviously worth them being open. It sucks for the staff who have to work if they don't want to but all jobs have their downsides.

I don't think there is any fun to be had waking up early on BD and going into shops where most of the stuff on sale is crap anyway, but clearly a lot of people enjoy it.

Ninkanink · 26/12/2019 15:26

Ugh * everybody not to work, that was meant to say! I couldn’t understand why it didn’t sound right...Xmas Grin and I’ve not even had anything to drink today!!