Do you really need to visit shops on Boxing Day?

[kolpa]

Before you decide to go to half the stores which are open today, think - do you actually need anything? If not, stay away from them.

Those supermarkets that are open would have very few deliveries. Perhaps milk n bread as majority of these are delivered by the bakery and dairy. It depends on if they worked yesterday. As some distribution centres were closed yesterday.

I personally believe that people only shop because the shops are open. If some were open yesterday, they would have gone in.

A good number of the retail workers today are people who don’t have a car who usually bus it in. But no buses means either get someone to drive them in or get taxi/uber which are 1.5-2 times more expensive.

So if you can survive a day of visiting about half the stores which are open today, stay at home or go to others’ homes.

DH has a foul cold and I am off to boots to get Lemsip etc. As it is on a large retail park I may look in the other shops when I am there.

I worked retail for 15 years before i retired. Worked boxing day quite a lot because somehow i never got my request in early enough and certain people always got every holiday they asked for. Until the year i stayed up till midnight boxing day and requested it online as soon as the system opened.
I got it much to peoples surprise because first come first served.
I didn't really mind working so long as it was fairly organised but it very often wasn't.
We never got deliveries boxing day. Just customers moaning that we had run out of bread and milk just like them and of course it being a shame that we had to work. I didn't shy away from saying that if nobody shopped it wouldn't be worth opening. And then the moaning that we were putting easter eggs out. If only people could use their brain and realise we don't make any of the decisions we just do what we are told.
We don't decide what to sell, whether to put it somewhere else or fix prices.

I work in a supermarket and put in a fucking effort on Christmas Eve so your belief is wrong. Running about like a fucking idiot looking for hair that people could have bought WEEKS ago then they were bitching at me because we had none. I’m not working today but if it fell on my shift I would far rather work Boxing Day than the carnage of Christmas Eve.

Can you use holiday? DH only gets the bank holidays off unless he uses annual leave. He doesn’t work in retail.

😂 we're doing early show at the cinema, a spot of light lunch, bowling and then out for dinner and drinks later... and no. I dont feel bad about it.

Oh my. Such a small world you live in. Honestly the saddest comment so far.

I worked in asda and always worked boxing day, it's nothing, get over it.
You do realise there are many people working today, we are adults, we can deal with it.

Well, I’m 3 hours from home and have come down with a horrible cold since I arrived so I’ll be going for tissues and medication. And seeing as I was supposed to see family for food, I won’t now be going so I don’t pass it on. So I’ll also be buying something to eat in that case.

I worked in retail from my teen, through my student years and into the start of my twenties. I think I worked all the Christmas Eve and Boxing Days. Didn’t bother me at all, it was quite fun actually.

In a later job, I only had Christmas and Boxing Day off. I would use Boxing Day as a day to catch up with things and often that meant shopping.

Now, I (very luckily) have two weeks off at Christmas, a budget that allows me to food shop in advance and no desire to buy anything. I’ll definitely go for a good walk later and might end up in a restaurant or coffee shop if there’s one open. I’d survive without, but I’m sure the coffee shop would be grateful for my custom.

Don’t go then.

I’m very pleased that a lot of people don’t have to work on Boxing Day. I’m dropping in to the only shop within walking distance for bread and that’s it.

@23doorsdown nope, we’re not allowed to book holidays in over the Xmas period…unless you’re management 🙄

😂

How about you keep your beak out of other people’s business? What if someone has been working all the hours under the sun and have today as a rare day off?

I thought you might be joking with this! The chance of getting more than one of the busy Christmas days or Bank Holidays approved as annual leave is close to zero.

Retail workers don't work seven days a week though. Most are on limited hours. DD would actually have wanted to work more hours. She is in today as none of the full time workers wanted to be. Lucky for her. It doesn't lay overtime though, just standard NMW.

I’m neutral on this one, for some it is the opportunity to spend gifted money or vouchers and perhaps pick up a few things at cheaper prices. I know a few students who have Christmas retail jobs and are happy of the hours and pay for this period. Not everyone lives in family harmony over Christmas and perhaps a meet up with a friend for coffee and a bit if shopping is a welcome break from home.

What in this world why are we so entitled to come onto here and tell people what to do. Have a day off and why don’t you stay out the shops and then you’ll be happy.

you need to learn to LET THEM. Means let them live the way they want to

They’ll do it remotely. It’s called working from home.

I need to pop to the local shop today as we are almost out of milk. Somehow in the last three days we have managed to use almost 12 pints!

I don’t agree with shops being open Boxing Day but today I’m kind of glad they are as I need to pop in and get a phone charger!

It's still working though- maybe they would prefer to play with their kids instead? or finish up the Baileys

When I used to work in retail and in hospital. People would fight over who would get to work over the holidays.

Before you get too soppy, some will be paid extra time and for those not paid extra, i don't think it's for you to say that people paid by the hour would happily give up potentially up to 3 days of pay for the Xmas period.

I used to work retail a long time ago and I liked the extra money and would have struggled if my hours were cut to avoid xmas, boxing day and new year.

Alternatively everyone sits at home buys stuff online and the shops all go bankrupt.