Sunday Trading Laws

[TheDevilWearsPrimark]

Is it just me that thinks this is an antiquated law and should be scrapped?

I think perhaps I have been out of the UK too long because little of your points make any sense to me! Here we had legal marriage bars until the early 90's, very few women with children worked, and those that did tended to be part time. Working fulltime with children was almost unheard of only 20 years ago, and not just middle class women.
If shops are open all day sunday anyway, what is the argument about then? I'm confused what you are arguing for and against.

Apart from anything else most petrol stations sell milk and nappies and are open 24/7 (round here anyway) ditto v long hours in those mini-supermarket type places...

And yes as I mentioned earlier DH works shifts and so has loads of time off in the week when the shops are quiet to do shopping.

I don't see that we need longer opening hours at all, or that they are desirable.

this argument is very circular. doesn't it benefit the people working odd hours to have stores open more hours, including the people working in the stores?
Many people work hours like 8am to 6pm and lots of stores are only open during those times, so that greatly limits the time to go.
It's not rampant consumerism to want to be able to pick up your dry cleaning, or get some vitamins, or buy your kids new shoes. (for example)
The idea that we're all snuggled up at home in family units after dark and on Sundays is ludicrous.

Surely all you retail workers who are up in arms because those of us who aren't would like stores to be open, are entirely missing the point that we don't want you personally to suddenly have to start working longer and less convenient hours. Clearly, there is a bigger issue here around how retail stores manage their staff (badly). But whether or not Sunday hours are extended, isn't going to change that - in fact, it sounds like you're all so miserable already that maybe some forced change would be good. The problem is not the government regulated shopping hours but how retail outlets manage their staff.

I did shop work when I was at school and uni - and I would always have chosen the Sunday session (and regularly did as I worked at a market that was open 7 days a week) because it wasn't an evening (when I wanted to go out with my friends) or during a school day. I have a teenage cousin who chooses to do Sunday shifts at his local Tesco for similar reasons.

"doesn't it benefit the people working odd hours to have stores open more hours,"

ermm nope - if anything I would have thought it would be the people working "normal" hours that would have more issues with shopping.

But even most of the 8-6 workers don't work Saturdays.

Have only read the first page of this thread but I can't see what the fuss is about. It's far easier today than at any other time in our history to go shopping. TDWP I think you just need to be more organised about planning your meals, etc. For some people that sort of planning comes naturally. For others, like me, it's a garguantuan task but now that I have mastered it I wouldn't do it any other way.

I have a two-week meal menu and shop online. I spend less time shopping for food because my ingredients list is automatically saved on my online account. I spend less money (so far, about £30 a week!) because I'm not being lured in by supermarket offers or tantalising foods that I don't really need.

Failing that, I'll organise your food shopping and you can pay me the £30 a week in savings!

ah well i see how this has developed -

for the record - if you rmanager is a twat who schedules you for a day you can't work, or profit by working, they will lose out in the end, because you won't turn up, or they'll leave (which is a cost to the company) which is why most retailrs ask for peoples availability at interview, and only employ those they have hours for. To cite people not being hired for not having weekend availability is a bit daft - if i had evening hours, i wouldn't employ someone who couldn't work evenings - if i had days tues-sat i'd employ someone for those hours - for some people sundays are vastly more convenient and when sunday hours are to be filled - it makes sense to employ someone who can do them! Its really no different to complaining about tueday opening on th grounds that a store wouldn't hire you cos you couldn't do tuesdays......

Out of 10 staff i had on sundays - only one working mum - two older ladies, one single man, 6 students. If we'd stayed open later we'd recruit more students to fill the space probably.

Also, opening hours are no limit to working hours - we had shelf filling crews in at 4pm on sundays and a night staff and management generally didn't leave until 6 ish - people still work when the customers aren't there!

People often complain they can't get convenient working hours - supermarkets that open 24-7 generally have hours on offer sooner or later to suit anyone if they wait for the right thing to come up. extending opening hours just opens that out to customer service staff.