To think that Sunday trading hours need to be abolished?

[HFJ]

I remember the hullabaloo about Sunday trading back in the late 80s

Whenever I talk to people about this, many usually give the following reasons why Sunday trading restrictions are a good thing:

1. Everyone can have Sunday lunch/family time together
2. Retail workers can have some weekend time off

However, I can’t be the only person who thinks the above is BALONEY

On the family time thing, I object for feminist reasons because it usually means a hard-working woman somewhere has to peel potatoes and rustle up a Sunday lunch for everyone else. Then, when she has done all that, can she treat herself to an emergency handbag, pair of shoes, just get away and meet a friend for coffee, or perhaps get the family shopping in on before the working week starts? Can she heck. Why? Because of some Bishops in the house of lords decree that the world should shut and therefore her indoors should remain indoors.

On the weekend time off thing, I really don’t see what the issue is. There are plenty of students who would like to and need to work. Also, there’s nothing to stop religious workers asking their employer to prioritise time off on Sunday for them (just as Muslims, Jews, people with caring responsibilites can make requests).

Am I the only one who feels this way?

Because the whole thread is about the Sunday trading laws!

Over here we have a different attitude to it. Many shops open from around Tue-Sat 11am to 8pm or sometimes 2pm to 10pm, Then Sun they open 10-4 or 12-6, Mon is closed. Hardly any do 9-6 or 9-6. Most people then shop in the evenings when they are out of work and the shops are open.

I work 10-6:30pm every Sunday and not being able to get some food (or a bottle of wine!) after work is a pain

We don't have these rules in Scotland, shops can open whenever they like. Some of the biggest supermarkets are open 24/7. England is very backward in this respect.

Nobody is forcing you out to the shops if you'd rather spend your Sundays doing other things. Lots of people are more than happy to work all day on a Sunday and the trading hours are pointless anyway - niece used to work for Sainsburys which was open 11-5 or whatever, but she would work 9-6 anyway. Just without customers for some of it.

Here's a thought

Don't leave everything to the last minute

Btw in Scotland even though the shops are open there are a lot more restrictions on when you can buy alcohol

This thread is about Sunday trading laws-that is only relevant shops. It’s not a thread about anything else you might do on a Sunday.

In terms of family time, only opening 7am until 1pm or 4pm to 10pm would make more sense rather than taking up the middle of the day

But do you not just do your shop another time? And think I'll want a bottle of wine/some food for Sunday and get it in
I shop once a week and that's it

@witchypaws Yes but there's always those days you fancy something you haven't planned for

Funnily enough I work in warehousing for a food retailer while everyone at the shops has gone home.

@AlltheFs yes but you were the one making out that people only want to shop as a "leisure" activity and will be buying "crap".
That's not the case for most people. They want shops open for more relevant hours (so later into the evening, longer on Sunday) so they can actually go and buy essential products.

Do you work on a Sunday OP?

Another point re workers is that in most other places that open on a Sunday, they'll have to work longer/full shifts, not a shorter day. Warehouse jobs, for example, will still work a normal length shift on Sundays, as will train drivers, emergency services, carers/healthcare, zoos and museums etc. If shops are going to be open on Sundays, then having an arbitrary restriction on hours is nonsensical.

ODFOD

@AlltheFs same to you love 🙄

Sunday trading rules are totally backwards and it being a nice treat for retail staff to have a shorter work day is not a reason to keep it.

It always surprises me how many people want to keep the inconvenience of this when it comes up on here.

I agree. There have been many times I haven't gone to my local shopping centre on a Sunday because it's open for so few hours and it would be a rush. Also my local Aldi is an absolute nightmare on a Sunday - people queuing at the doors from 9.30am and it's packed until closing so I can't imagine it's too nice for the staff.

Yes it was and for us at the time it was great but that’s why I said selfishly as I know it wouldn’t be for everyone. Everyday’s the same here in the UK and everyone’s so busy all the time.

Posted in error

You've also got how staff get to work
Public transport on a Sunday can be a nightmare and often doesn't start as early in the morning

@witchypaws that's actually a very valid point. Public transport as a whole also needs a massive overhaul.

Ok, cool

So can we also have all banks, post offices, offices, councils, lawyers,courts,nurseries,schools and every other thing open too?

I mean it's only fair, right!?

And childcare...
if we opened Sundays we would lose staff who don't have childcare available

Childcare on Sundays is non existent

Yabu. Everyone managed perfectly well before supermarkets opened on a Sunday. If you needed anything you nipped to the corner shop.
Working in retail is shitty enough without all the entitled fuckers wanting to go shopping at 5pm on Sundays.
Well guess what, you can't
Unless you have the misfortune to live in Scotland 🤣

Evenings and weekends are when a large amount of the population is available to shop. Not Tuesday morning at 9.30

This! If restrictions are removed shops would be able to decide when it makes sense for them to open, not necessarily more hours overall.