To be happy that the boxing Day sales will probably be cancelled?

[TheSpiritofSalem]

I used to work in M&S. In the year before I left, my store started opening on Boxing Day.

None of us, even the managers, wanted to work the (completely unnecessary) Boxing Day shift (which began at 7am!!!)

Even worse, 90% of the customers were miserable and complaining about the fact that we were open!

-"I can't believe you're open today. You should be getting the day off like the rest of us..."

• "In my day, the sales started in January."
• "Companies like yours are just greedy opening on a day like this."

and on and on and on...

I no longer work in retail, but I'm hoping that with lockdown looming, the sales will be moved back a few days this year, giving retail staff a much needed festive break.

Who's with me?

@SpeccyLime

YANBU. I’ve long thought Boxing Day sales should fall by the wayside! All those poor retail workers dragged away from their families to serve hordes of stroppy customers when everyone would surely be happier tucked up at home watching films in their jammies, or going for a brisk, cobweb-clearing walk in the countryside, or seeing the family you didn’t see on Christmas Day (ok maybe not that one this year). It doesn’t actually benefit anyone except giant companies, let’s ditch the whole thing!

No, everyone wouldn't be happier doing those things you suggested. If they were they'd already do them. Instead they choose to go shopping, believe it or not.

With the hit the economy has taken this year, I don’t think this is the time to be making changes to Boxing Day sales. I don’t particularly like them, but I think things being open the day after Christmas is good for the many people who find Christmas difficult for whatever reason. When my dc were young and I was a single parent, I was grateful to be able to go shopping when my dc went off to their Dads on Boxing Day.

@NailsNeedDoing

With the hit the economy has taken this year, I don’t think this is the time to be making changes to Boxing Day sales. I don’t particularly like them, but I think things being open the day after Christmas is good for the many people who find Christmas difficult for whatever reason. When my dc were young and I was a single parent, I was grateful to be able to go shopping when my dc went off to their Dads on Boxing Day.

There's going to have to be pretty significant changes made whatever happens though, surely? On practical grounds shops just won't be able to have as many customers present as they usually do.

The sales won't be cancelled at all. People will just be asked to queue outside more to limit numbers in the shops, in the cold and the rain and you know what? People will do it.

You can tell that a lot of people here have never worked in retail, or with the general public!

Some people want to work over Christmas and new year
Not everyone celebrates Christmas. Not everyone wants to be at home alone
Should they be forced to have time off.?

With the exception of another lockdown, what makes anyone think shops will be closed on Boxing Day?

I agree shops should be closed on Boxing day this year but.....the economy is fecked retailers need all the money they can get to survive.
Plus, with the restrictions people will want to do something normal ish on the days if they haven't seen family etc.

I hate going out on Boxing day, I would rather stay at home chilling and people have a good chunk of time off!

@Heatherjayne1972

Some people want to work over Christmas and new year Not everyone celebrates Christmas. Not everyone wants to be at home alone Should they be forced to have time off.?

Can we please stop assuming that because someone doesn't celebrate Christmas, they'll be happy to work it? For people needing childcare and/or transport to work over Christmas, there can be significant logistical challenges. Those don't go away because a person doesn't celebrate Christmas. TLDR- just because a particular worker is a Jehovah's Witness doesn't mean the nursery will be open.

Last year there was a bit of a movement towards cancelling Boxing Day sales iirc but I think that retailers need the sales so will open on the 26th. I wonder if more shoppers will buy online instead considering how many retailers are moving towards less stock in store and encouraging click+collect/online.

Ive tended to sale shop online for years tbh as if you register with a shop online you often get first go at any reductions online, days before they're rolled out in store. Way more relaxing. I hate High St shopping unless it's my hometown which isn't jampacked 24/7 like Westfield London is.

@Heatherjayne1972

Some people want to work over Christmas and new year Not everyone celebrates Christmas. Not everyone wants to be at home alone Should they be forced to have time off.?

I eas a retail manager of a very large shop for 15 years, I never once met a member of staff that wanted to work late in xmas eve or come in early in Boxing Day (especially in later years when it stopped being double time)

Yes, I can't help but notice that retail staff are pretty much never the ones advocating for their right to start work at 4am on Boxing Day. That principle seems to be much more vehemently defended by people who aren't expected to do it.

I think after what must be a busy month, retail staff should get xmas day and boxing day off.

I say this as someone who works in healthcare and is likely to be working xmas day.

Oh dear! There's a surprising amount of people surprised by the stupidity of customers.

Personally, I think that retail work should be mandatory so that everyone understands what the general public are really like. I feel that retail taught me far more about life than university did.

I worked in retail as a teenager. Even though people were less entitled and rude, I still remember what they could be like.

One of the reasons why I would like shops closed on Boxing Day.