Boxing Day shopping.

[Leekbrookgull]

For years we have had the Boxing Day sales,Oxford St,Bluewater,Trafford Centre etc but now thats not enough Supermarkets have got into the act and even in a small town like Leek WH Smiths,Edinburgh Woolen Mill,B and M,s are just a few of the shops that will be open,cant we no longer survive 24 hours without shopping ? Forget the day in lieu or double time,can we not have a bit of Family time and even if you are single please just use your time for either yourself or others rather than choose to work. Rant over.

 

[Mr Banana]

As tragic as it may sound, when you are alone every year they are an absolute godsend

 

[Peteinblack]

even if you are single please just use your time for either yourself or others rather than choose to work. Rant over.

I suspect for many shop workers, there is little genuine choice. A couple of years ago, just before Christmas, I was chatting to the check-out worker in Sainsbury's, and she said that she didn't want to work on Boxing Day, but feared that if she said 'no thanks' when asked to work that day, she would be viewed as 'bolshy' by her manager, and likely to find herself top of the list when the next round of redundancies were announced.

So I wonder how many shop-workers are working today out of genuine choice, rather than fear of the consequence of refusing, or simply because "It's part of you're contract" (they have absolutely no choice).

I take Mr Banana's point about people who are lonely, but I too think it sad that most people cannot survive two consecutive days without shopping and spending money (and getting further into debt) - are the other 363 days of the year not enough for them to fit in their shopping?

 

[Dick Swiveller]

I suspect for many shop workers, there is little genuine choice. A couple of years ago, just before Christmas, I was chatting to the check-out worker in Sainsbury's, and she said that she didn't want to work on Boxing Day, but feared that if she said 'no thanks' when asked to work that day, she would be viewed as 'bolshy' by her manager, and likely to find herself top of the list when the next round of redundancies were announced.

So I wonder how many shop-workers are working today out of genuine choice, rather than fear of the consequence of refusing, or simply because "It's part of you're contract" (they have absolutely no choice).

I take Mr Banana's point about people who are lonely, but I too think it sad that most people cannot survive two consecutive days without shopping and spending money (and getting further into debt) - are the other 363 days of the year not enough for them to fit in their shopping?

I'm not entirely sure Sainsbury's make people redundant as you can't replace them with someone who does the same job. Probably more to do with little or no rights due to a part time contract.

 

[Denis]

Same at M&S, if Boxing Day falls on your contracted day, you have no choice but to work, if it you were also contracted to work Saturday 24th, you have had a pretty sh*tty Christmas break! Rant over.

 

[AmexRuislip]

I suspect for many shop workers, there is little genuine choice. A couple of years ago, just before Christmas, I was chatting to the check-out worker in Sainsbury's, and she said that she didn't want to work on Boxing Day, but feared that if she said 'no thanks' when asked to work that day, she would be viewed as 'bolshy' by her manager, and likely to find herself top of the list when the next round of redundancies were announced.

So I wonder how many shop-workers are working today out of genuine choice, rather than fear of the consequence of refusing, or simply because "It's part of you're contract" (they have absolutely no choice)

Exactly this, after doing our last Sainsbury run on Thursday last, got chatting to the lady on the till, who quietly said the same, that she had only Christmas day off and back in boxing day.
Sainsbury used to be closed on BD, but recent years have opened.
Probably for the impending storms we were meant to be having, and the mass panic that will ensue, do to the fact we will all die to no food and drink being available.
It's utter madness, I'm sure we can cope with another day of closed shops!!

 

[Bigtomfu]

As ever the queue for Next was an utter abomination. This particular store is NEVER busy except on BD when they've bought in their substandard not previously on display cheap attire for them all to gawp over unrelentingly.

 

[PILTDOWN MAN]

I would make it mandatory all businesses must shut for 2 days, everything inc. hotels pubs, etc.

Of course that will never happen because there's too many selfish people in the country who couldn't be arsed to cook their own Christmas dinner but are prepared to ruin some poorly paid sod's own Christmas.

 

[AmexRuislip]

As ever the queue for Next was an utter abomination. This particular store is NEVER busy except on BD when they've bought in their substandard not previously on display cheap attire for them all to gawp over unrelentingly.

Try driving round Westfield car parks for half hour to get a space, tragic

 

[bhanutz]

I would make it mandatory all businesses must shut for 2 days, everything inc. hotels pubs, etc.

Of course that will never happen because there's too many selfish people in the country who couldn't be arsed to cook their own Christmas dinner but are prepared to ruin some poorly paid sod's own Christmas.

What a melt