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Original poster

I think the current 6 hours opening on sundays for supermarkets is long enough

101 replies

fortyfide · 07/07/2015 12:46

It is reported that Georgie Osborne is set to increase the hours they can open on Sundays
I thought 10am to 4pm was adequate.

OP posts:
angelos02 · 10/07/2015 18:33

I would love shops to shut altogether on Sundays. I actually think some people shop when they don't need anything. as if it is a leisure activity. I can't think of anything worse.

HelenaDove · 10/07/2015 18:48

My HAs gas safety checks are only done between 9 and 6pm Monday to Friday.

On Wednesday night a snake got into my flat RSPCA uldnt come out at 11.50pm. Havent got the staff or facilities at that time of night Told same thing by council. Also contacted the police who also refused.

RSPCA did ring at 8.30am the next morning to ask if it was still there. Confused

We are only a 24 hour society where theres a profit to be made!!!!

Andrewofgg · 10/07/2015 19:55

angelos02 I actually think some people shop when they don't need anything. as if it is a leisure activity. I can't think of anything worse.

Then don't do it. But for some people shopping is indeed a leisure activity so please don't try and stop them doing it.

Do you want to close the restaurants, the pubs, the cinemas, the theatres, the broadcasting studios, all the things that are not absolutely essential and which require work?

Just what do you want to allow us to do on Sunday?

Superexcited · 10/07/2015 23:23

If the shops shut altogether on Sundays many people who want to shop will just buy things online and we will see further decline of the high street.

woodhill · 11/07/2015 08:08

I agree to some extent about the shops shutting, I think we could retrain our habits. If it is there we use the facility, it it went would we miss it?

Shopping has become a leisure activity but then it can lead to debt etc so maybe this isn't so great.

I think people will still shop in shops as oppose to the internet as you cannot always judge the item in a picture.

Andrewofgg · 11/07/2015 08:18

Woodhill If nobody worked to being us broadcasting on Sunday, or if all we got was recorded stuff, would we miss it?

Could we not "retrain our habits" as you suggest?

What about public transport? In my experience there is a strong correlation between people who want to restrict or abolish Sunday trading and people who want more and better public transport. And buses and trains don't drive themselves, do they?

ltk · 11/07/2015 08:25

I love shopping on Sundays and would like longer hours. Saturdays are so busy that I don't have time. I go shopping fairly rarely but almost always Sunday is when I can do it.

Starlightbright1 · 11/07/2015 08:33

I am wondering where the children fit into all this.. I used to work in retail years ago. I also worked in nursing and worked as many Sundays as I could... I now am a LP with no support so can only really work school hours with wrap around care. I would enjoy working in retail again but it is not an option ..partly because there is no childcare on a weekend but also because I actually want to spend time with my child and raise him myself not just school and childcare providers.

I really can't see what you can't buy in 6 hours of shopping.

Longdistance · 11/07/2015 08:37

I'd like longer hours on a Sunday. I work 6 days a week for a financial institution.
I hate having to wait til 11 on a Sunday for the shops to open, as that's when we'd be doing stuff during the day. If they were open earlier, I could do my shopping, and then continue the day.
As it is, I cannot do much of what I want to do during the week, as sometimes I am on my own and don't get a lunch, though cannot leave the building.

projectgreen · 11/07/2015 08:58

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

SomewhereIBelong · 11/07/2015 09:34

Do retail workers still get time and a half or double time on Sundays

No, not for some time now - Sunday, Saturday, 3am are all "normal working hours" now.

sometimes you don't even get paid for the actual hours you do, despite it being minimum wage. When those people wander in to the shop at 5 to closing and take an hour to shop - you "suck it up".

projectgreen · 11/07/2015 10:11

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

woodhill · 11/07/2015 11:54

Andrew We managed perfectly well 20 years' ago and I'm not convinced about the constant need to shop. Perhaps it does link to our gotta have it all attitude and people getting into debt as it has now become a leisure activity.

I admit I love to shop :)

I know people have to work on a Sunday, my dh does.

woodhill · 11/07/2015 11:55

not sure I'm particularly bothered about transport links

Andrewofgg · 11/07/2015 12:11

Woodhill I expect you run a car or live in an area with good public transport. If you didn't you would be bothered about transport links and not being isolated on any day of the week.

I know we managed twenty years ago and yes we would manage if the shops were closed on Sunday and at 1.00 on Wednesday too. But why should we only have what we physically cannot manage without.

If as I expect you run a car do you expect to be able to fill the tank on Sunday? Why?

woodhill · 11/07/2015 12:25

Fair point Andrew. I do and live very near the tube:)

Betsyblue · 11/07/2015 12:34

I wonder how many people criticising this idea are also happy to go out for a meal on Sunday or to the pub? After all, they will be staffed by people having to work Sundays and it's been that way for a long time.

Superexcited · 11/07/2015 12:52

How many people would lose their jobs or have their hours reduced if shops didn't open in Sundays? Extra opening hours = extra staff hours are required and that can only be a good thing when we are far from full employment.

Indantherene · 11/07/2015 13:00

they will be staffed by people having to work Sundays and it's been that way for a long time.

There is a world of difference between taking a job knowing you will work Sundays, and having it imposed on you. DH has been in the same job for 25 years. He didn't sign up for Sundays. He'd love to leave but is stuck - after 25 years he's on a decent salary but to go anywhere else he'd be on min wage, and we can't live on that.

He has his "weekend" midweek while I'm at work and our DD is at school.

The next step after this will be shops opening Christmas Day and Easter Day. This year his shop made all staff go in Easter Sunday to do a deep clean Shock. How about just once they would like to spend time with their family, like everyone else?

GnomeDePlume · 11/07/2015 13:35

In my experience the people who want shops shut on a Sunday still want to be able to do leisure activities: going to museums, stately homes, swimming, whatever.

Of course all these things have to be staffed by people working on Sundays. Unfortunately the 'keep Sunday special' people dont perceive this as real work. They dont want to have to work but they do want the waitress/lifeguard/steward to work.

Double standards in my opinion.

Anyway the Pope works on a Sunday!

Andrewofgg · 11/07/2015 13:51

GnomeDePlume And the Pope does not even get double time!

Branleuse · 11/07/2015 14:10

I think sunday opening hours are a pointless law, ancient-christianity-centred, most people arent observing church on a sunday, and maximum full time working hours are adequate to protect people, not insisting they take a rest for certain hours on a sunday, no matter what religion they are. Its weird and outdated

ThinkIveBeenHacked · 11/07/2015 19:04

I dont understand why Retail shouldnt be open more hours on a Sunday. Cinemas are....hotels are....restaurants are....soft plays are.

Just open everywhere every day of the week and be done with it.

SomewhereIBelong · 12/07/2015 09:02

Do people not see it is the sheer number of shops that poses the problem. It is all large stores - not just supermarkets. No large shop will want to be the one that stays shut and "loses" custom.

We had trouble getting anyone to work on a Sunday. No one WANTS to do 6 hours on a Sunday let alone 10 hours. Management practise was to make people work it through whatever means they had - varying rotas, cancelling leave etc...

And all for what? There is NO MORE MONEY going to be coming in, the spending will be done over the whole day instead of the 6 hours - so they will pay more staff, persuade staff to come in for longer for the same sales spread out over longer hours, just so some people can buy crap at 6pm on a Sunday.

Andrewofgg · 13/07/2015 20:01

SomewhereIBelong Tell me the old, old story.

There is NO MORE MONEY going to be coming in

Possibly not, but your customers will have more choice when to bring it in, won't they?