To be annoyed at non essential shops who are keeping their doors open?

[Mlou32]

Big stores such as Penneys (Primark), Brown Thomas and loads of other businesses big and small have all shut up shop for now in an attempt to help with social distancing. However the likes of Debenhams and other non essential types of shop are happily still trading. Of course I know folk have personal responsibility and we should be (and I certainly am) only going to the shops once a week on my own to do the groceries. Then coming straight home. And everyone should be adhering to this level of essential contact only. However the likes of department stores and other non essential shops continuing to trade is to me, the height of social irresponsibility. As I say, there is a level of personal responsibility that people should be taking however there is always going to be those who don't give a damn and do what they like. These shops being open just seem to be encouraging those who have no intention of adhering to government advice to come out and mingle in public. They are open so people will come.

Its actually really irking me. It's like they're putting profit above peoples health and safety.

I do understand the stark financial situation that many businesses are finding themselves under at present. I also know that the government hasn't explicitly ordered them to close. But can't they use common sense and regard for public health and just shut their doors?

Am I being unreasonable at being annoyed at these stores?

And how do you think the workers will feed themselves and their families? From the magic money tree?

Haven't you seen how much small businesses and big ones are struggling already? On top of that imagine all the people who will lose their jobs and what it means for our economy in the longer term. Unemployment, recession possibly, crisis. You cannot think about tomorrow only OP, you have to make an effort and think it a couple of months time.

And not everyone can work from home for obvious reasons.

personally think the shut down has gone too far now.

It hasn't started yet!

@pinksauce what?? When this is all over, I hope we will apply criminal sanctions against anyone who owned or went to work in a company that facilitated people against social distancing. Automatic manslaughter conviction.

So my 19 year old daughter who has to go to work every day in a shop because she needs her job should be convicted of manslaughter?? Are you high? How about instead the idiot customers just stop going shopping which might then persuade her Head Office that it isn’t worth staying open? Because at the moment they are making a shit load of money by staying open when other shops are closed and their sales are up on last year, so the management are rubbing their (very clean) hands in glee.

Nice being in a comfortable position where you don't have to work for a living and can afford to be so judgemental.

I agree OP. But I am amazed that you are managing to get enough food when only shopping once a week.

I work for a big named company, we're taking a tiny fraction of what we usually do, yet here i am getting ready to go in to work. If we self isolate we only get SSP, if we close it will come out of our holiday or sick pay. I just don't see how we can continue to trade for much longer

Just had an email from Beefeater, there are closing all their restaurants from tomorrow.

I'm quite sure it will all be sorted this weekend. Tuesday at the very latest. The Key Worker list is published. Next step is anyone who's not a key worker stay home with your kids.

I've just been made redundant from a small business which is likely to close soon. We were on a skeleton staff but even more so now. Yes its unreasonable to stay open with every person going why are you still open but without the government mandate, they cant shut and claim. I've also lost out on my holiday pay and my 4 year old is home now from school,I'm not sure how I'm going to keep her entertained till september and look for another job with no childcare.
Please continue to throw stones in you ivory tower op and be grateful that you can go food shopping while the majority of us will go hungry in order to keep our kids fed and happy.

If you really want to be socially responsible and your income is not being hit by this crisis you should stay at home and send the money you would have spent at your hairdressers, local coffee shop , pub or restaurant directly to them. You will know who is going to be hit hardest and personally.

“ all of this can be bought online”

But that still involves people travelling, having to go to work to pack and ship those orders?

I agree adaline. And to some extent I do have a position of privilege. There aren’t any easy decisions to be made here.

But I think some of the consequences outlined on this thread are inevitable anyway.

I just wonder if in 18months or so, when this is finally over, we might look back and regret we didn’t heed the lessons of China and Italy and take more action earlier.

“ Next step is anyone who's not a key worker stay home with your kids.”

And people who don’t have kids? Or people like me who have teenagers who don’t need looking after all day and my husband is working at home anyway? I still have to go to work in my non-essential job otherwise I’d be sacked

@RafaIsTheKingOfClay yes, DH and I are in a similar position really.

I've been forced to close my business for two weeks as I've had a bad cough and chest since Monday. DH is also self-employed but luckily works alone so we're not losing his income.

But I'm very privileged in that I can afford to close my business and take the hit. I can also still afford to shop online and we have full cupboards and a full freezer. Lots aren't so fortunate.

@peggysuehadababy I'm not only thinking about tomorrow. I'm thinking about when hundreds of people die from this illness. Not just directly but also those who can't access the required medical treatment for other conditions because resources are all taken up treating COVID-19 patients.

I'm one of the affected struggling to pay bills, put food on the table etc. But I still have my life. There are over 10,000 people globally who cannot say that anymore due to this pandemic.

When people say "oh it's very easy to say just shut up shop but what about....?" Well is it easier to say ''when my immunocompromised child died due to the impact contracting coronavirus had on him?"

I can understand their dilemma as its not just about the profits, even the big firms they're playing with people's incomes and finances at a time in which it's unclear how best to handle it and look after staff.
Smaller ones it's nit just their staffs finances but their own and if they close they will not reopen. Get this wrong it could tip people into financial despair.
Im a small business even loosing one staff member to self isolation we cut working hours another falls ill we will have to close. We sell fuel people like key workers will need it but we're not key workers so have only one of us can work. It's a very difficult one to deal with more complicated than you might thing to get your head around whilst government support is still not clear or accessible yet. So much still up in the air, that's why some are still hanging on, they still aren't sure how to access the help and when will it be accessible.
It will take a little time to organise.

The biggest sanctions should be against China who knew how deadly this was and tried to cover it up and allowed thousands of people to spread it across the globe.

That’s a little unfair. Yes they are to blame for the wet markets and they were slow to report and react in the very early stages. But they have done more than any country to try and prevent it’s global spread, including wrecking their economy.

China were responsible for buying the world time to stop this. It isn’t their fault we all wasted it despite the WHO pleading with us not to.

@peggysuehadababy and are you talking about me when you sit there preaching that "it's nice to be in a privileged position to not have to work?" Well, I'll give you a hint what kind of position I'm in, shall I?

I'm someone that is on the high risk list which has been published by the government, having not only a medical condition but also being pregnant. I am currently employed on a zero hour contract (which suits me due to my caring responsibilities to my mother) by the NHS bank. I have the choice of putting my own life on the line along with the potential safety of my unborn baby, to deal with people who are pouring into the hospital with COVID 19. Which is in large part being spread by folk not bothering their backsides to even try to limit the spread of this illness. Businesses not assisting in the prevention of community transmission.

Putting myself on the line to help people is what I signed up for. I have done so for years, through being physically and verbally assaulted, abused....but I keep on going. However I did not expect society to be so willing to facilitate the spread of the illness and put peoples lives on the line just to keep the till ringing. That is not what I signed up for. I appreciate that it is more complicated than that for many companies but ultimately that is what it boils down to. Life or death.

So yes, I am someone who needs to work. I am a Nurse. I have also not picked up any shifts this week because I am scared shitless about the safety of my unborn child. However I suspect I will have to pick up shifts again starting Monday. Because I have bills to pay, food to put on the table patients to care for. The lack of money thing is tough and I don't know what I am going to do. I've sat in tears so many times due to the financial worries of even thinking about protecting myself and my baby by staying off work. I just wish people would help us nurses, doctors, AHPs and all other essential workers in society, and the vulnerable by pulling together on this. But it doesn't seem to be happening.

^ I did put paragraphs in the above post, I'm not sure why it's coming up as one big rant. Bloody mumsnet.

Haven't RTFT but I agree, I keep seeing posts on social media as if they're being so amazing and brave,
"We remain open until forced to close"

An independent coffee shop opened in my town a month ago. They put in strict rules at the very beginning (such as no refillable cups, contact payment) before the guidelines came out and they got praise for it. They put on facebook a few days ago that they are now receiving a lot of negative messages for not closing, but explained that as there has been no forced closure they are not insured and will lose their home as the business is offset against it.

Shut up with the China stuff. Have you forgotten that it was the UK who created BSE?

"I'm more annoyed at the dirty Chinese"

Ok, well that attitude won't really help us right now, will it? You continue to sit there spewing out racism online, the rest of us (or at least some of us) will try and help our fellow human beings.