To think it is time to extend Sunday opening hours?

[Sundayopeningplease]

It really is time for the restrictive Sunday trading hours to be lifted. The archaic laws have not kept up with modern society.

Sunday may traditionally have been a family day but there have been a lot of changes since then. People are in increasingly different family set ups. The working hours have changed for a lot of people and being able to shop on a Sunday morning would improve things greatly. It would help trade for businesses too.

Sunday is now a major shopping day and the hours need to reflect this.

its not ignorance, I am don't feel entitled. I know a lot about being poor, not just not well off financially. When we ran out we didn't have the luxury of getting more we had to wait until there was more money to buy more. That cold be day or weeks. People do run out of things and it is inconvenient when the shops are closed. That is just not a justification for forcing people to work longer when the shops are already open long hours 6 days a week and reduced on the 7th. If you are doing the shopping you need to be better organised.

What does supermarkets being open have to do with family time?

@Socrateswasrightaboutvoting

No one is forced to do anything.

Exactly what I was going to post. It's amazing how many people are ignorant of the fact that their right to have "family time" means that others should sacrifice theirs in order to facilitate that. Retail workers aren't more worthy of a Sunday off than DD who will be working today and most Sundays during the year. I might get to see her more than 3 times this year (she's a 4 hour drive away so can't just pop in after work), but I doubt it.

The only establishments in England and Wales that legally are restricted on Sundays are shops over 280 square metres, and even then there are some exceptions (eg pharmacies, shops in airports, shops that deal in car parts, farm shops selling their own produce etc).

There is no law restricting any other places from opening on Sundays, many places just have shorter opening times as it isn't economically viable to stay open longer as they just don't get the footfall to justify the cost.

YANBU. Create more jobs if shops opened a bit later, wouldn’t it! I think why not. It’s silly that a small shop such as an express store can remain open because it’s under a given number of square feet, yet big Tesco can’t!

Not in an ideal world. In reality many are forces to accept changes to working conditions and pay. Some vote with their feet some are not able to for a variety of reasons.

No they don't.

Many are only open 10 till 5/6pm 7 days a week, they aren't restricted on Sundays.

I have just had a quick look at a few of the big museums in London - British Museum, V&A, Natural History, Science Museum, National Gallery etc - and they're all open 10-5/6 every day except a few who do a late opening till 8/9 on Fridays.

I'd happily go back to shops closing on Sunday and half day on Wednesday.
And no online orders.
I use all of these things, but I miss how shopping used to be. As someone said upthread, it just requires more organisation.
I understand that this won't be a popular opinion.

Yes yanbu

Ooh I like online

@woodhill so do I and I use it a lot. Then I feel sad about the decline of high street shopping, when I'm part of the problem 🤦🏻‍♀️
I digress though, as this is about Sunday trading hours 😆

Shops as others have said used to be closed all day Sunday, people with caring responsibilities managed fine.

I find it hard to believe that the restricted hours on a Sunday can cause much of an issue.

The shops don't always have the stock and sizes

I work till 11pm Mon-Sat (minimum wage), Sunday is physically the only day I can do food shopping. I'm also disabled and have no access to a car, and even the nearest small shop is a bus ride away (and all the small shops close before I finish work).

How am I supposed to "organise myself better" exactly??

The people acting like if you go shopping on a Sunday, it obviously means you're some kind of entitled shopping monster who already shops six days a week and can't possibly go one single day without shopping is bizarrely out of touch. Are you all wealthy SAHM who go shopping every single weekday but feel virtuous that you're graciously permitting retail workers one day off?

What time do you start work?

@woodhill I'm finding this more and more.
I guess before online shopping took off so much, shops stocked lots. Now we're told it's better online as there's more stock. I quite like trying stuff on at home too.

Again, they know they hours they have signed up. So your point is?

Course they should be that’s why shops can’t compete with Amazon prime. So weird people worrying about retail workers, but what about Amazon delivery drivers , or any of the 1000s of other people working at the weekend. Lots of people also want the opportunity to work at the weekend as it’s suits their lifestyle, all these people aren’t been forced to work ! And at some places you get paid more on a Sunday so it’s actually preferable ! No one’s forcing people to use the shops if it’s not for you then don’t use them 🤷‍♀️

Shops nowadays rarely have all the clothes or sizes in stock. That’s one reason to shop online.

But it blocks retail staff from having a slower day on a Sunday.

I can't help thinking that there is big overlap between the people who go on about shopping local and those who have the ability to go shopping Monday to Friday.

I have two days to play with for family time, seeing people and in person shopping. Saturday and Sunday. I would undoubtedly buy more on my local high street if the opening hours were longer.

I bet anything all the posters crowing that no one in their naice little village minds not being able to shop in the evening or on weekends live in posh upper middle class areas and are either SAHM or work from home in jobs where they're not monitored and can easily pop out to run errands.

@GreenistheGrass not at all. Work full time, out of the house, and not upper middle class. Would still like restricted hours though (and I use the shops on sunday).

^I'm talking about the posters who want to ban Sunday opening completely, being extremely sanctimonious and judgy about anyone who doesn't have the same lifestyle as them.