I'm not going to necessarily say shops should or shouldn't be open on a Sunday at all, but are you honestly saying that although (many) supermarkets are open 24 hours Mon-Fri, usually until quite late Saturday, and 6 hours on a Sunday, that you can't manage to fit your shopping into that existing time frame and want them to open even longer?

Used to start work at 10 am monday to saturday and finish between 11pm and 2 am. after working days like that does ts surprise you that I was not in the mood to go shopping at 11pm and that there is a valuable service provided by shops being open on a sunday ?

As I've said, I'm not arguing that they shouldn't be open at all, I'm saying I don't think there is a need to extend the hours any further.

What about people who work sunday lunch times serving others their roast dinners they perhaps want to get to the shop after work ? Late sunday opening hours is up to market forces and the business at hand I cannot fathom how anyone else should have a choice in the matter.

I think it would be quite rare to find people that work all week long, as in seven days a week, all the hours shops are open for during that time (24 hours most of the week). If it's a case that they just can't be bothered to fit it in during all of that time, which is more likely, that is just a selfish attitude.

I work in a shop as I say, and I go and get my shopping when I finish my shift on a Friday night. The last thing I can be bothered to do when I've been on my feet all day, with the public is then go shopping with them, but needs must. I don't sit here thinking that shops should open for even longer so that I can go when I can be bothered.

I honestly don't know how people coped before the massively extended shopping hours we have now.....

Just to add, for those wanting even more shopping time, I take it you currently manage to find time to go shopping?

Was in a motor factors today (it was open till 12 thank feck) and a women was enquiring about an auto spark who worked in the building nextdoor. He doesnt work Saturdays which she couldnt believe , then the guy said he wouldnt be back till Wednesday she near passed out with dispair ! When she left the guy said "has no-one told her its bloody easter ?"

I think in Germany, most large national retail chains close Saturday afternoon, open again on Monday morning

Weekend is for the familly

But what do they know about running a successful economy

A good point.

I think to an extent, the more you give people, the more they want. I'm sure people work long hours in Germany, and if what you say is correct about retail chains, those people manage to cope around the hours they open.

I'd reply but I'm heading out to work and don't have time....

My wife works in a different country Mon - Fri.
I work full time, look after the house and kids Mon -Fri.

We do the weekly shop on-line and its delivered Friday evening, any other shopping gets done on a Saturday (clothes, holidays, presents etc).

Sundays just aren't needed for shopping (and we don't do the church thing, either!)

I don't remember anyone starving or being shoe-less when shops were closed on Sundays in 60's and 70's...

Saturdays are obviously more convenient for many customers. Ever thought of closing on one of the week days and trading on a Saturday instead?

Nick

Well Birmingham Council seem perfectly happy to have people working on a Sunday!

I just popped out for a paper and a bunch of council refuse men were out emtying the litter bins along the street. I wonder whether they will be on triple or quadruple time for working on a Sunday on a Bank Holiday weekend?

It is a good job that we are not in a recession with councils having to make cutbacks - er :confused:

mb

I agree also. I see where Andy is coming from but as above, working hours are vastly different for a lot of people now in industry (nights, euro shifts, 4 on/4 off, quick turnarounds etc). so shops have changed to suit.

This is with reference to supermarkets mainly but it's also good other shops on park estates open till 7/8 pm on weekdays. :)

Tbh, I hadn't thought about the shift patterns of workers being so different now.

As it is, I'm sure most people will get by today with all the big shops being closed!
Won't even notice.... ;)

Andy, I only know as I've never worked a job doing the 9-5 thing. Worked nights, then 6-2/2-10, then nights again, then current job is 6-2/2-10 swap midweek. I don't have the brainpower or qualifications to work a highly paid 9-5 orifice job ;) :D

Out of curiosity (blatant nosiness really), what does your good lady do as it sounds interesting like David's job (Trout).

Andy, she's director of global recruitment for an incredibly large transport company that has operations in 60 countries.

She gets about a bit.... (But doesn't do all 60 countries, thankfully!)


Trust the little one's well and suitably stuffed full of Easter eggs? :)

I've not read this thread :) but it seems to be the people wanting to make money should be open when everyone else is off work ?

Fast forward a year and the same OP could be making threads about a failing business.. I hope not, I really do .. but complaining about too many customers lol

This is the 21st century right?
I'm sure some people on here still think its the late 80's/ early 90's?

The world has changed we all live in a world which is 24/7 like it or not. And I haven't worked a Monday to Friday job in the last 10 years either, I work weekdays, weekends, night shifts, early mornings. I do what I have to do.

The situation is that people do want/ expect companies to be open outside traditional trading hours and the knock on effect is that the people working those hours to fill demand then have to do their business at none traditional times to fit in with their work and so on and so on.

It's isn't a dig at Ali, the garage I use is strictly Monday to Friday and I accept that but others don't and do take their business elsewhere, and that's the rub of it.
Charging double on weekends won't work as in the short term you may gain but long term you can be sure there will be no repeat business.

A lot of places are open longer to fit in with all these changes, the point is that eventually something has to give.

People work to live, not the other way around. I doubt most people do a 9 to 5 job nowadays, whether they work in a garage, a shop or whatever else. Companies have adapted, I just feel there should be a cut off for everybody's sake.

I have worked for 15 years now, and at no point have I worked a 9 to 5, I have worked days, earlies, evenings, and weekends. As it stands, unless I put in holiday, I work every Saturday, but I accept that, I'm not crying on about how things are now. What I have a problem with is people wanting even more than that, and eroding away any family time people might still have.

Its not about too many customers (on aggregate there isn't enough)...it about customers expecting a small independent non-retail non-Hospitality sector business to be open out of normal business hours and during official holidays.

FWIW for me, my hours are 8:00AM to 6:00PM weekday, and Saturday until 1:00PM...thats an hour sooner and a hour later than our suppliers, and judging by traffic and customer flow in reception and on the telephone suggest most of the general office-working public appears to be 9-5, 5 days a week. ( And 10 to 3 for mothers ;) )

If the business went under (and it is possible :( ), it wouldn't be of our making, for a number of critical reasons which focus on the overall operating overheads which are getting very difficult to keep on top of. I doubt customer flow on holiday/weekends would cover that, especially given increased overheads and restricted operations during those periods due to parts suppliers beings shut and not enough staff (or staff not willing to work during those periods, overtime pay etc).

If suppliers are shut, that restricts business severely. Staffing would need secondary managers would be required to operate in the manager's absence (as I'd doubt he would want to work 7days a week including holidays), along with having to employ staff of a shift basis, further increasing overheads.

Get it wrong, and say there aren't enough customers to covers those idling overheads (wages along with the electric, heating etc), and the business could go under sooner rather than later.

An idea I have thought about doing is subletting out the workspace to someone willing to work outside our normal hours. Someone else's risk...someone else's problem. :D :norty:

As a garage I would think being open saturday afternoon would just be a matter of MOT's and letting people collect or drop off cars. I still cannot imagine many people want to go to the garage on a Sunday.

I think a situation is rising that because more and more people work extended/abnormal hours, part time or shifts, no doubt accompanied and manifested by the retail sector trying to be open 24/7. A fall-out result is a increasing amount of folk with a expectation for those to expect others to STILL be at work when they are not at work.

What gets my goat though is when they show little or no understanding or compassion about it. I mean is working 50hours in a week not enough?? (I actually did 50 hours in four days last week to get stuff finished before Friday).

The customers I know who are on shifts/odd hours/part time generally are more flexible as whilst we are shut Sundays...they usually have a day off sometime during the week. Or start work later, or finish earlier.

What I find strange is that it seems to be the people working 9-5 5 days a week that are the one expecting people to be working when they aren't. :confused: And the worst ones? People not in work! I kid you not, retired folk, and stay-at-home-mums are probably the worst of the lot; they have all the time in the week, yet decide trundle in at 12:50 on a Saturday. :cuckoo:


Anyhoo...Its Easter....Praise the Lord....We're closed

https://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lhmylc6HHw1qakx7g.gif

Now F*** off! :D

I don't believe it!

The council have a bin waggon out today as well, a bank holiday monday, collecting bits and bobs from the side of the road.

:mad:

mb

For how long will that continue......?

I actually saw somebody moaning on FB yesterday because a shop they wanted to go to was shut as if they were surprised. Shops/many businesses close for only two days of the year, yet people go on like the end is nigh because they can't go shopping. I think those people need to get a life. All the while, they are banging on about having a long weekend off work :mad:

I don't begrudge them a long weekend, I just think they shouldn't begrudge others all of two days off (xmas/easter).

Believe it or not but people still put litter in the bins- even at weekends and bank holidays ( although looking around , most is still dicarded in the street):rolleyes: