Tesco - football final

[countvoncount]

I'm as chuffed as anyone about England reaching the final, just to be clear I'm not bashing that
But.... DH works for Tesco express, who only close on Christmas Day.
Just had a notification that express stores will close at 7.30pm on Sunday, to allow staff to watch the football.
He's delighted of course, as otherwise would have missed it, here's my AIBU, they have normal opening hours on Christmas Eve, New Year's Eve, New Year's Day, Good Friday, Easter Sunday etc etc
But can find it in their hearts to close early for a football final?
Bonkers!

It's to ensure staff don't pull a sickie for the whole shift, too.

I'm forgetting that. Im in Scotland where they're open till midnight.

No-one is going to turn up anyway @countvoncount !

My DH is on late shift - midday to 10pm for Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday this week, and is off Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday (by default.) And the people working Sunday, - midday to 10pm - have BEGGED him to cover for them.

He's refusing, and he's not even a massive footie fan. He (like many others) gets into it/excited by it when England start to do well, and is looking forward to it! (Same as me!) I reckon they will ring in sick!

While I think it’s a nice gesture of Tesco, I’d like to know if they did the same for the lionesses when they were in the final? Or is it only when the men’s team play they close the stores?

@Plump82 I didn't know that! I thought it was the whole of the UK with restricted Sunday trading due to the size of the shop, now I see it only applies to England & Wales 👍

I was in M&S last week, thinking it was peacefully quiet - turned out England were playing - if I end up being practically the only customer and it was only (I think) the last of the group stages, I can imagine supermarkets on Sunday evening would be deserted.

Yeah it's a great time to go shopping

I love it..

I was so chuffed when my employer emailed to say we could leave at 4.30 to get home for the 5pm group stage match. It felt such a treat.

They don’t close early on Christmas Eve as people want to get last minute thing. People will be watching the game and not shopping on Sunday so can make a nice gesture to employees in giving them time off without too much impact on earnings.

On the whole - doing Christmas stuff is wife work and the football is for men (yes I know lots of women love the football-myself included - I’m talking on the whole).

They won’t lose money as people will stock up on food and drink for the match before they close. Possibly spend more getting booze/snacks for the match. But they get loads of “aren’t they great” free advertising. These companies don’t do anything purely out of good will.

As PPs have said - this would never happen for the women’s football.

You can bet that until about 7pm, it'll be merry hell. Then by 7.15pm there won't be a tinny or a tub of Pringles to be had. The supermarkets will want all their staff in until things slacken off. If the weather's good, it'll be barbecues too.

Good for Tesco. The Euros final is far more important than Christmas, Easter or any of that religious nonsense.

It’s coming home!

Loads of Tesco staff work on Sundays after they close at 4pm. It's shelf stacking like sny other but also the time when stock gets moved from one location to another ( as it's the longest period without customers).

Are those staff finishing at 7.30 pm too?

I imagine they are already shut at 8pm on a Sunday (Sunday trading law means they need to be in England)

I usually go shopping when a match is on, and enjoy the empty aisles!

You’ll know there’s been a goal though, when the entire landing goes up!

wrong

Would they make this decision for, say, the Rugby World Cup final? I seem to recall the mother of a player, Johnny Wilkinson, in the 2003 side heard of their win in Tesco!
It wouldn't happen for other sports, it's just Tesco showing how very egalitarian they are!

I do understand where you’re coming from OP, I worked in hospitality when I was younger and without fail always opened the restaurant on New Year’s Day, worked Easter Sunday, all evening Boxing Day etc. etc.

However, it’s part and parcel of working in retail and hospitality. You’re going to have shit shifts and working on holidays. Emergency services are 24/7. I’m sure there are loads of nurses and paramedics who would also like to put their kids to bed on Xmas eve, but can’t as they’re on shift. That’s part of working in the sector that you’ve chosen.

I think it’s brilliant of Tesco to allow their staff one evening off, on a Sunday where a lot of places close at 4/5pm anyway. IMO YABU. It’s not bonkers at all.

Other sports are available! Did they close when Andy Murray played his winning Wimbledon final? Is tennis perceived to be too posh?

Virtue signalling from Tesco, I see Premier stores are doing the same too.

My favourite Chinese takeaway had better stay open, I'll be ordering for 8.15!

I’m with you OP, feels bizarre they’d do it for this but not close early on Christmas Eve. Not everyone will be watching the final, plenty of people who don’t like football or have zero interest in it. Bet they will be quite annoyed if they pop out for milk and find it closed due to the final

Yes those NHS staff just don’t work hard enough, heaven forbid they get an extra day off 🙄

Men’s football is the most popular sport in England, and by quite some way. If the women’s football final, either sex’s cricket/rugby final, Olympic Games, Wimbledon etc. was on at the same time with the same level of interest then I’m sure the stores would respond in the same way. I say that as someone who doesn’t have an interest in either sex’s football. It’s not a show of respect or a nice gesture to England fans. They’ve just come to the purely commercial decision that this event will cause staff to call in sick and customers not to show up.