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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to not want shops open boxing day

133 replies

Moomoo75 · 20/12/2021 10:48

So basically I work in retail and have to work the sale on boxing day. AIBU to not want to work on this day to want to spend spend it with my family. With the surge in covid no.s etc is a sale the day after Christmas really necessary? 😪

OP posts:
trappedsincesundaymorn · 20/12/2021 14:44

It would be nice to think everything can be shut on Boxing Day, then DD (who works at a tourist attraction), might be able to spend Christmas with HER family one year.

Offmyfence · 20/12/2021 14:45

@VeniVidiWeeWee

Tesco is opening boxing day.

Make of that what you will.

That's very disappointing! All the others are staying closed, I bet the staff are very unhappy about that.
Ihopeyourcakeisshit · 20/12/2021 14:46

@Shoxfordian

If shops can open then why wouldn’t they? You presumably had it off last year anyway
Oh well, that's ok then Hmm
Bigbum562021 · 20/12/2021 14:46

You're not being unreasonable at all! You work your guts out in Retail for months at a time so it's only right you should want some time to yourself. Get it if you can! I'm self-employed Retail but used to be an employee Retail and my bosses told me work MORE, do MORE. I worked on the buses and a huge amount of passengers would moan bitterly because we all dated to have Christmas day/Boxing off! Go for it if you can and good luck to you!

MedusasBadHairDay · 20/12/2021 14:48

Used to work in a camera shop, boxing day was the most frustrating day to work because the only people to walk through the doors wanted refunds on unwanted Xmas presents. So we always made a loss that day, and the day dragged as there was so little to do.

Roselilly36 · 20/12/2021 14:51

More shops are closed Boxing Day this year, which I think is a good idea, to give staff a break and spend time with family etc. Surely people can cope without shops open for two days.

icedcoffees · 20/12/2021 14:52

@ItsSnowJokes

I refuse to shop on Boxing Day for this reason. If people can't get enough stuff in to give retail workers 2 days off then it is a sad state of affairs. Some retailers have said they won't open this year and they will get my business.
The thing is, a shop might be closed to the public, but that doesn't mean people won't work.

I used to work for one of the "big four" and they had to shut on Easter Sunday by law. However, all that meant is that they had staff in working anyway, doing things like stocking shelves, date-rotation, preparing food ready to be sold first thing Easter Monday.

MorrisZapp · 20/12/2021 14:53

My grandpa was a shipping clerk. He worked every christmas morning. Christmas day only became a public holiday in Scotland in 1958, and Boxing day in 1974.

Having said that, I do agree about the sales. It's an arms race, with each shop needing to be open to match the competition. If they all agreed to wait until the 27th then they'd still be equal.

With online shopping, can't they hold off the actual stores for one day.

JuergenSchwarzwald · 20/12/2021 14:54

One of our local supermarkets is closed on Boxing Day "to keep our hardworking staff a break".

In fact, some staff have been asked to go in for stocktaking.

I think it is quite helpful for some staff to be able to work, not everyone celebrates Christmas, or wants to, or has anyone to celebrate it with. A decent employer should be able to arrange shifts to suit different needs as far as possible. I imagine for example that there are plenty of sixth formers and students quite happy to work Boxing Day.

I do think bank holidays should attract double time. When I had Saturday job in Woolworths I got double time if I worked Sundays!

Slowchimes · 20/12/2021 14:55

I just don't understand the need to go to the shops one day after Christmas. Haven't people had enough of consumerism by then? I enjoy presents on Christmas day but surely that's enough? I like taking a nice walk in the fresh air personally!

Youdoyoutoday · 20/12/2021 14:56

I think all shops should be shut over Xmas from the 24th at 4pm to at least 27th 10am.

These sales are ridiculous, you've gone all year without this shite, why do you suddenly need it now it's half price? Plus it's usually not even in season stock or if it is, there's only size 8 or 24 left. No thanks.

Plus the supermarkets desperate to open on boxing day when people have been in there on Xmas eve buying enough for a small army anyway!

Consumerism at it's worst this time of year.

itsgettingwierd · 20/12/2021 15:01

I agree.

I also think centres should be really quiet anyway as others should be at home with family etc. why the Ned to shop the day after you get given gifts or have given gifts you've been shopping for months for?

I've also seen many supermarkets are closed and I'm pleased.

Every job has it benefits and drawbacks of working hours. And I'm grateful we have an nhs free at point of access during these periods if we need it. However I feel for a and e staff who spend their Christmas patching up people who couldn't control themselves during theirs.

icedcoffees · 20/12/2021 15:02

With online shopping, can't they hold off the actual stores for one day.

But that doesn't stop people having to work, it just means that people will be working behind the scenes to get online orders picked and packed anyway, even if the public can't physically go out and shop.

When I worked in clothing retail, online orders weren't just filled by warehouse staff, requests would come through to shops as well and we had to accept/decline them, pick the item (removing it from our stock), set it aside, wait for paperwork, pack it up, label it and put it aside for collection.

Closing the shops to the public on Boxing day would just mean someone had to come in anyway to fulfil all the online orders - leaving them a day wouldn't be an option as the number of orders would just be overwhelming - we'd easily get 100+ orders each day to pick, pack and post, and that was each store - and not including warehouse or telephone orders!

pastypirate · 20/12/2021 15:03

Morrisons and lidl are shut Boxing Day. Possibly aldi too.
It would be great if this became cultural again.

MaryBoBary · 20/12/2021 15:31

At least you get Christmas Day off. Lots of hospitality staff don't even get that. There's always someone worse off than you and Boxing Day sales is one of the most profitable days of the year. No way businesses will stop opening.

Northofsomewhere · 20/12/2021 15:42

@MaryBoBary

At least you get Christmas Day off. Lots of hospitality staff don't even get that. There's always someone worse off than you and Boxing Day sales is one of the most profitable days of the year. No way businesses will stop opening.
Except Morrison's, Aldi, Sainsbury's and most Waitrose's have chosen to stay closed boxing day this year. All large retailers also have to comply with Sunday trading this year so the perfect opportunity to stay closed too. And people can only shop if the stores are open, if they close boxing day the busiest day will just shift to another day. The hysteria around boxing day is entirely manufactured, I just don't see why I should be forced to work a shift I don't want to when I've already worked extremely hard, to facilitate yet more spending for the sake of delaying it 24 hours when it's not essential anyway.
CeeceeBloomingdale · 20/12/2021 15:45

I work in a call centre that sells things, we are open 365 therefore I don't see shops as any different. If the demand is there they will open. I'm sure almost everyone wants to be with their families, NHS workers, Firefighters, Police, Transport workers etc so YANBU to want that but YABU to expect it.

Bananarama21 · 20/12/2021 15:50

Do you work for next by any chance? I feel so sorry for them how can someone enjoy Christmas when you have to up at 3/4 o'clock for work as people can shop the sale at 5. I heard how staff are made to stay back late Christmas eve to mark up sale items so no early finish for them.

LaurieFairyCake · 20/12/2021 16:01

I think they should all be shut for 3 days

I've never gone shopping from 22nd - 2nd week of January - I've no idea who's buying stuff in person on Boxing Day Confused

toastofthetown · 20/12/2021 16:04

There’s a difference between supermarkets (whose biggest trading period is before Christmas) and clothing/home/furniture etc. retailers whose biggest trading periods include the post Christmas sales. Bricks and mortar stores are coming under increasing pressure from online sales. It’s all very well to say ‘well do your shopping online then’ but the problem is that increasingly that’s what people are doing. If shops aren’t open when their biggest trading period is, but their online competitors are then that’s a massive opportunity lost for them. It drives more people to shop online in the future, which is fewer people visiting the stores. It’s a precarious time for the high street and I can’t blame them for wanting to maximise their most profitable time. And as other posters have said, shopping online doesn’t mean people aren’t working to get those to you.

For the people saying that Boxing Day is a day to relax and spend with family, that ignores the fact that not everyone celebrates Christmas or has a family to spend Boxing Day with.

Shopping is largely an extension of leisure and hospitality. Hotels, restaurants, stadia, theatres, cinemas are all open on Boxing Day (and some on Christmas Day itself). Many factories are open on Boxing Day. All of these are also non-essential yet no one is saying that these should close. In fact (as I said above) on a recent thread a poster was encouraged to spend Christmas in a hotel, with no thought to the front of house, security, cleaning team, chefs and waiters who would have made that happen. Personally, I’ve never been shopping on Boxing Day so it doesn’t affect me if shops are open or closed, I just wonder why retail staff are the only non essential workers people seem to care about on Boxing Day.

liveforsummer · 20/12/2021 16:16

[quote LittleRoundRobin]@liveforsummer

And people are referencing NEXT because they are ALWAYS OPEN Boxing Day. And this year is no different.

The first 3 I looked at are open Boxing Day, so I don't know where the NEXT store is that YOU are on about.

Telford Open Boxing Day

www.telfordcentre.com/visit/opening-hours/

Merry Hill Dudley Open Boxing Day

www.birminghammail.co.uk/whats-on/shopping/merry-hill-christmas-opening-times-22247431

Shrewsbury Open Boxing Day

www.openingtimesin.uk/next-shrewsbury-town-centre

I am sure there are many, MANY more

So, as I said, what NEXT stores are YOU on about that are not open Boxing Day?

In addition, most shopping centres are open Boxing Day, so I highly doubt many big stores will not be open then. They get fuckloads of shoppers, like hell are they going to stay shut.

The Mander Shopping Centre Wolverhampton Open Boxing Day.

enjoywolverhampton.com/enjoy/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Mander-Centre-Opening-Hours.pdf

Potteries Shopping Centre Stoke._ Open Boxing Day.

www.visitstoke.co.uk/see-and-do/the-potteries-centre-p1031501

Brent Cross Shopping Centre, London Open Boxing Day.

www.brentcross.co.uk/opening-hours?tab=1qu4Ei3B7CGuZ3nj2SpTt2

As I say, like hell will the 'big stores' not open if the Shopping Centres are open.[/quote]
Calm down 😆. It said on the news on my local radio station last week that next was among the stores planning not to open on Boxing Day this year. If that was incorrect then I apologise for repeating it. The other stores they mentioned were supermarkets. Can't say I have a clue what's going on in Brentwood etc as not even in the same country

Bionicname · 20/12/2021 16:29

I would be happy with absolutely everyone getting the full two days off, apart from emergency staff and anything absolutely essential. And they should get double pay. Why is it only ever a race to the bottom in the UK? Other countries manage, and it sounds like the UK used to as well before 24h consumerism became the new religion. Give everyone a break! And let families and friends have some time together (or apart if they prefer), but it should be down to them and not something that could bloody well wait for a day.

Chewbunn · 20/12/2021 16:31

Yanbu, it's consumerism gone wild and it's gross.

Ponoka7 · 20/12/2021 16:39

Home Bargains is giving the staff the day off on boxing Day, including the fill shift. There's no reason that B&M and similar shops can't do likewise. More and more they won't recruit enough staff to make this possible, the shifts are getting less family friendly and everyone is stretched to the limit.
Last year Easter Monday should have been given off to everyone in retail.

converseandjeans · 20/12/2021 16:39

littlepearl

Actually I'd quite like to go back to shops being shut on Sundays too. I think it would give a better rhythm to the week.

I agree. When I lived in Germany shops used to shut Saturday lunch & stay shut until Monday morning so if you wanted food you had to make sure you had it in. People would just get used to it.