To think it's time to abolish Sunday trading rules in England

[CurdinHenry]

And just have a more normal week

I think you could put restrictions on individual retail and hospitality staff, say you can’t roster someone past 5 Saturday and Sunday unless they only work 2 days a week and nobody can work more than say 18 hours over a weekend. Plus something about protection for workers to make themselves unavailable for religious reasons on Sunday mornings. I’m sure that can be refined, but something along those lines can keep retail/hospitality open.

But we still have archaic alcohol purchase rules, it’s not sold between 22:00 and 10:00 every day.

I feel sorry for supermarket staff. This places seem to hardly ever shut!

When I was a student I relied on Saturday and Sunday shits for money. There are some people who don’t libfcwitkinb weekends. I used to work (Scotland) 9-7 Saturday and Sunday plus another day during the week.

This isn’t just in the past. Most of the NW Scottish Isles are still closing shops and restaurants on a Sunday.

The major supermarkets are open from 7am till 11pm, and if you still can’t get to them, order online for home delivery. And if that still doesn’t work, other shops exist. It’s not hard.

Used to live in Scotland and did my shopping on a Sunday evening ready for the week ahead. Hate Sunday shopping hours in England.

Agreed too. Central London they sometimes stay open later.

Why does it bother you then if you don’t even live in England?

Yes, abolish the Sunday trading, and close all the main shops on a Sunday! Like it used to be pre 2000s.

In Northern Ireland Sunday trading is 1-6pm, smaller convenience stores open as normal. Its just something we are used to here so work around it.
Stayed in Belfast a few weeks ago with friends over from England and this was the only time I rolled my eyes at our trading laws. Managed to find a spot that served breakfast with mimosas though so all good!

OP said to abolish Sunday trading laws and have 'a more normal week'.

Sunday hours is normal if you live in England.

Yes they should. I’d bloody hate it if I lived in England. Yay for Scotland!

And good that retail workers get at least part of the day guaranteed off.

Plenty of retail workers work Sunday as a normal working day. When I worked in Tesco I worked 8pm to 6am. Didn't make any difference that it was a Sunday.

Sundays where big stores are is closed all day would be nice. I’m not remotely religious. Society needs to slow down (and people need to be more organised if they can’t cope with 7 days per week access to a supermarket).

Yes it’s just the OH fam come from Med culture so it’s a bit hard to entertain them here. Thankfully we have a place there so get to escape for the summer.

I think it would be way better if stores opened their 6 hours on a Sunday from 8am to 2pm or 3pm to 9pm or similar. Surely better for the retail workers to have a whole morning free or most of the afternoon/evening than a bit right in the middle of the day which means you can't really do anything in the morning or the afternoon.

Tell you’ve never worked in retail!

I’d be all for all shops completely closing on Sundays and on every single bank holiday.

if you can’t manage to do you shopping during the other 6 days on the week then that’s a you problem.

I live in very rural Scotland our nearest supermarket Tesco is open 8-10pm on Sunday as already said we don’t have Sunday trading laws up here. Food is definitely not more expensive in fact if anything it’s cheaper. I frequently do my weekly shopping on Sunday evening. In contrast most cafes round here are often shut on Sunday and in fact usually after 4 pm except in more touristy areas I’m assuming due to lack of customers.
Plenty of people here shop in Tesco on Sunday evening not because they are disorganised but because it suits them and their lives and anyway so what if they are disorganised rather that than smug.

Why is it a shame? In Britain it’s pubs rather than cafes. These are open long hours everyday. Just go to a pub surely

Agree with this. During summer months when we’re walking the dog after work and just want to pop in somewhere for a coffee, there’s literally nothing open locally unless we travel to a town with a Costa cafe. Other European countries are a lot more flexible with opening times. And Sundays are worse because of the early closing times, you can’t get anything to eat anywhere cheap and cheerful after 3, to fit in with early finishes.

Pub?

You realise you can get a coffee in a pub which are open long hours

Also Scottish, and living in Scotland and happy with our non restricted hours.

I’m not quite sure though why you’re so concerned about what the rules are elsewhere though. Let them do them?

If you seriously can’t cope with large stores closing a few hours early one day of the week people need to get a grip. Or is this another thinly veiled threat trying to undermine the Christian basis of much of the culture in England? When I was a kid shops were closed on a Sunday and Wednesday afternoon for the most part. Everyone managed. Personally I’d like to go back to Sunday closing

Of course. But I never go to a pub for a coffee. I normally want a snack with the coffee like some cake, a scone or something. I just prefer a coffee place environment. Pub fine for a Friday night out with a glass of wine. But prefer to go to a proper cafe on a school night dog walk!