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Original poster

To say ‘well done’ to the bosses of M&S, Waitrose, Lidl & Aldi

381 replies

MargaritaThyme · 23/12/2023 00:00

For deciding not to open their stores on Boxing Day, thereby giving their staff, who have been working very hard through December, a proper break with their loved ones?

OP posts:
SoxDogs · 23/12/2023 08:43

Completely agree. Only the essentials should be open Christmas Day and Boxing Day.

Willmafrockfit · 23/12/2023 08:43

i am sure it was 1993 that my ds went to boxing day sales

Howdidtheydothat · 23/12/2023 08:43

So good to see that these shops are closed. You never get to relax at Xmas day if one of you has to work Boxing Day (can’t travel to relatives, can’t stay up too late, leaves the other parent alone on Boxing Day ( to put together toys, clear xmas day chaos or set off to visit/host relatives).
Some people want to work over Christmas but not many and not enough to give those who do want a break at xmas for the minimum 2 “main days” In healthcare, you often have to work either Xmas day, Boxing Day or New-years eve/day. It is rubbish and causes lots of strife for staff and managers alike every single year.

ofestivetree · 23/12/2023 08:44

The economy needs them open

Mumof2NDers · 23/12/2023 08:44

Mongrelsrbeautiful · 23/12/2023 08:34

But that's the same in most jobs isn't it? NHS clinics, most office jobs, hair and beauty, for example - it's part of your holiday allowance, not a freebie.

Edited
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It depends on your employer. They can include it in your AL. We’re very fortunate ours don’t include them. So I get 30 days plus Bank Holidays. DH’s company do include them. He also has to keep some holidays for Christmas and a 2 week shut down. He doesn’t have many days left to take when he chooses.

giraffetrousers · 23/12/2023 08:46

a proper break with their loved ones?

Judging on what people have expressed to me, I am not sure everyone wants to spend extended time with their "loved ones"- all I see around me is stress, massive amounts of prep and grunt work and people telling me they can't wait until its over. I always liked working on BD because by then I had had enough of being at home.

Alcyoneus · 23/12/2023 08:49

Heyhoherewegoagain · 23/12/2023 07:03

Aldi and Lidl aren’t online, and my niece is Aldi management and it is very much a staff welfare issue. There are still (vanishingly few!) some retailers with morals!

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That’s my point. They’re not online. Such a large proportion of sales in dec are going through online that Aldi and Lidl will close on Boxing Day because they don’t have an online presence.

It’s naive to think that a retailer chooses to give up business out of the goodness of its heart.

BubbleBubbleBubbleBubblePop · 23/12/2023 08:50

naughtynine · 23/12/2023 07:01

How old are you!? I’m 39 and very much remember the sales starting in January. You do realise some people on here are older than you, you know!?

Im in my 40s & Boxing Day sales were definitely a thing for years. Like I said it may be a location thing but you do realise not an everyone lives in the same place?!

Yes, the Next Boxing Day sale was definitely a thing. My aunt used to queue outside Next in the early hours of the morning on boxing day to get her hands on a few bargains.

Howdidtheydothat · 23/12/2023 08:50

Lots of people storm the sales online now. , shops just aren’t that busy on Boxing Day, staff need to be paid double and they have get to get stores “sale” ready before they open (in reality this means no Xmas day break for some). Keeping shops closed for one day won’t harm the economy. Trains, buses banks and most public services are all closed. More likely to boost it with people ready to go out, eat out, sale shop and restock cupboards after a good couple of days at home.

BobnLen · 23/12/2023 08:51

Waitrose is closed Boxing Day

BobnLen · 23/12/2023 08:51

Sorry just see that listed in OP

ilovesooty · 23/12/2023 08:53

Alcyoneus · 23/12/2023 02:32

A lot of naivety on this thread.

Online shopping trend is here to stay. Who do you think is working in the warehouses throughout Boxing Day to process all the sales that have moved online. M&S, Aldi and Lidl are not doing it out of the goodness of the heart. M&S have a substantial online presence. Aldi and Lidl will have looked at the wage bill saving vs the sales they get on Boxing Day (since the online retailers take so much of it) and decided it’s not worth opening.

Absolutely. I reckon most of the people applauding this have no qualms about shopping online at their convenience and won't give a second thought to the working conditions of all the people employed in online shopping.

I don't particularly want to shop on Boxing day but the hypocrisy is pretty clear to me.

Crunchingleaf · 23/12/2023 08:53

naughtynine · 23/12/2023 00:25

When I was young January sales were a thing, there was no going shopping straight after Christmas.

How old are you? When I was young hitting Oxford street etc for the Boxing day sales was a big thing

I am not in UK. It was the British chains that started the trend of sales beginning on the 26th. Now many of British retailers here have finally stopped.

Benibidibici · 23/12/2023 08:54

Honestly i think they should be closed 24th/25th/26th.

Food keeps 3 days, there's really no need for making people work those days.

As a minimum it should be closed by lunchtime 24th.

Alcyoneus · 23/12/2023 08:55

marriednotdead · 23/12/2023 05:02

I work in retail in central London. A few years ago we were made to open on Boxing Day. The staff had to be taxied in as there was no public transport and the demoralisation and bad feeling it caused meant that it didn’t happen again.

These days we go back in to a ton of click and collect orders though, some people are just addicted to shopping.

So the shopping just moved online and now it people working in warehouses in Boxing Day.

BubbleBubbleBubbleBubblePop · 23/12/2023 08:55

Beryls · 23/12/2023 08:30

The morrisons local near me is open Chritmas day. Apparently they opened for a few hours last Christmas day and took £9k so they're open again this year. I thought that was a bit greedy.

Is it a Morrisons supermarket or one of those Morrisons locals? I think they're franchises. I agree, it's just greed.

EDIT - Sorry, you did say morrisons local! Not long woken up!

Saltyswee · 23/12/2023 08:56

What about the staff that work through Xmas too. Nurses, dr and paramedics ? Now inconvenienced.

BobnLen · 23/12/2023 08:57

I bought my Next sale stuff online on Thursday, as did many others, I do this every year, I daresay the warehouses will be busy on Boxing Day

BubbleBubbleBubbleBubblePop · 23/12/2023 08:58

Saltyswee · 23/12/2023 08:56

What about the staff that work through Xmas too. Nurses, dr and paramedics ? Now inconvenienced.

What about us? Inconvenienced in what way?

FOTTFSOFTFOASM · 23/12/2023 08:58

Snowyballs · 23/12/2023 01:59

Totally agree
So much Mumsnet middle class wankery on this thread

Show quote history

Yup.

Plus those who are saying they "just can't understand" why anyone would want to go shopping on Boxing Day are clearly too bone-headed to see that everyone is different and are not all "snuggling" in their huuuuuuge warm houses

Some people go shopping because shops are nice and warm and having a mooch is cheaper than putting the heating on.

Willmafrockfit · 23/12/2023 08:58

my dd and i both did caring and carers work all year round, she had to work boxing day, i was asked to bring her in, whereas their policy was usually no you must not get involved!
so i refused

HouseofHolbein · 23/12/2023 08:59

Morrisons is open Boxing Day. Paying double time and only people who want to be in are in. So my daughter (cafe) is in and husband (shop floor) isn't because he doesn't want to.

I'm in care so I'm working Christmas Day and Boxing Day.

Crunchingleaf · 23/12/2023 09:00

So the shopping just moved online and now it people working in warehouses in Boxing Day.

Websites are 24/7. You can still shop online without someone being in the warehouse. Maybe the big multinationals have people 24/7 but the small independent retailers don’t.

BobnLen · 23/12/2023 09:00

People only seem to care about retail worker on Boxing Day, no other workers matter on Boxing Day, though I suppose it makes up for the rest of the year when no one gives a damn about retail workers.

Alcyoneus · 23/12/2023 09:03

Jan sales became Boxing Day sales, Boxing Day sales have now become Black Friday sales. There is a continuous sale on now from Nov through to Jan.

People spend so much of their money on leisure and a lot of shopping is done online.

If you buy online between today and the Boxidng day, chances are that a warehouse worker is working Boxing Day for that. If you eat out or visit any service on Boxing Day, someone has to work Boxing Day to make that happen. If you are planning on going to the supermarket on 27th or 28th dec, people are working Boxing Day in shops and supply chains to get it ready.

Quit with the virtue signalling already and get on with your lives. It’s embarrassing.

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