Do shops really need to open on Boxing Day?

As a PAssistant am working C Eve and Boxing Day!

I personally won't be going near any shops not my favourite thing at any time of year. However I think places should be open if staff are happy about it. Thankfully religious connotations have virtually disappeared so no reason not to.

Well said Millymouge my DD works for a large coffee chain who have decided to open some of their shops on Christmas day. This year they have asked for volunteers but my DD says its a matter of time before this is thrust on them and they are forced to work. It's not only that but my DD would be forced to get a taxi there and back as she could get there any other way. Boxing day is just another day to them.

No. I think it's totally unnecessary for shops to be open on Boxing Day. Staff should be allowed the day off to spend as they please. I would never go to the shops on Boxing Day because it's part of the Christmas holiday and I want to extend that Christmassy feeling. Christmas flies by as it is, so let's make the most of it.

It is a normal working day here, most shops close on Sundays as well,only British people seem to complain that they cannot go shopping on a Sunday.

I will NOT be shopping on Boxing Day - never have, we do Christmas again for my husbands family (we do mine on Christmas Day) DH family spend their Christmas at SFIL's children's having a veggie Christmas and then we "go again" on Boxing Day to satisfy their Turkey Lust! I probably won't shop again until January. We also ban internet shopping in our house - I refuse to wait in for delivery or try to talk to people fiddling with their phones etc. I don't think I've ever been shopping on a Sunday or for that matter a Wednesday afternoon - nor do my DC or their families. My parents were shop keepers and Sunday and Wednesday afternoons were our only family time - so I preserve the habit and do not buy on the Internet or via self checkouts etc. It's still firmly 1950 in my heart, and it's nicer there!!

Boxing day to me is wonderful..its Relax day.eat nibbles.have a long walk.drink hot choc(?later)nap?. watch t.v....DEF NO SHOPPING!!!!!?

In Spain for Semana Santa a few years ago and the shops were firmly closed for 4 days. Also, in France on May Day once, I have never seen a country so closed. It used to be like that at Easter here when I was small. The bakers were open for a few hours for hot cross buns on good Friday and then everything closed, opened on Saturday, but many shops with half-day closing, then closed Sunday and Easter Monday. I'm in the 'let people have time off if they want it camp'. Noticed yesterday that my Sainsbury's is open 6 a.m. to midnight on Boxing Day.

Its not just shop staff who are made to work Boxing day. Those in NHS and care workers as well as delivery drivers and those who work in hospitality and many pickers and packers all have to work as well. But imo no non essential services should not be made to work Christmas day, Boxing day or New Years day.

No Boxing Day in France and it's horrid. Shops opening on Sundays creeping in now. I really liked the feeling of not being able to go shopping. Very relaxing.

In fact some supermarkets open on Sunday mornings here in rural France. There are also some shops which open on Sundays not just for Christmas.
Boxing Day is not a bank hol and people are generally back to work after a couple of days. NY is celebrated much more here.

my daughter made a valid point the other day when discussing this between us.
what about the people who don't celebrate christmas and would want to go shopping on boxing day as they usually do?
if people don't want to go shopping on boxing day then they should either stay at home or go and do something else instead.

Granjura

'Here in SWitzerland, all is closed on Sundays - and exactly the same in local French towns.'.

'no-one works on the day after, the 25th.'

Are you saying in the whole of Switzerland and local. French Towns there is categorically no service industry provision , not even a restaurant?

I didn't know that.

I wonder what the difference is between the internet shopping habits of the Swiss and the UK public. Does Amazon for example have many, if any warehouses in Switzerland?

Much more civilised, granjura.

It's called St. Stephen's Day here in rural Ireland and apart from the odd petrol station and supermarket, nothing much is open between Xmas day and 2nd January. The towns are deserted.

Well as said, this is very much the case for the USA and UK.

Here in SWitzerland, all is closed on Sundays - and exactly the same in local French towns. People are used to it, accept it - and do family things, sport, outings, on a Sunday- finihs early on 24th to celebrate Christmas and no-one works on the day after, the 25th. Perhaps too late to turn the clocks back in USA and UK - sad.

That is right POGS, whether we like it or not things have changed. Maybe we should look at the whole issue of Bank Holidays which do cause all sorts of problems.

The fact is we do have 365 day 24/7 shopping , it's called the internet. Warehouses are open to distribute the goods purchased on the internet like wise.

This is a catch 22 question similar to the Sunday extended opening hours.

The fact is our high streets are suffering from internet sales and the opportunity to 'sofa shop'. They are not in a position to turn trade away, especially on one of their profitable trading days.

We are now living in a 24/7 culture. Whether individuals like it or not, or would personally choose to shop on Boxing Day is not the point.

Retail is a competitive market, no different to other businesses in the Service Sector such as pubs and restaurants, taxis's, Airports, Petrol Stations, Motorway Services etc. etc. etc. Where do you draw the line.?

We as a family and extended family for the most part have /had employment that requires/required 24/7 working conditions and it is something you accept when taking on the job so I am not saying 'do as I say' not 'do as I do'.

Most shops are horrendously busy in the run up to Christmas. The least they could do is give people two days off.

i was just saying Ana there are two options. One is to have all the stores closed. Or the other is to staff with people who WANT to work for whatever reason.

Just as a matter of interest Boxing Day has been a BH since 1871 and New Years Day since 1974. I can remember my dad going to work with a hangover before then on 1 Jan.

Well, they wouldn't be able to work if everything was closed, would they?

I think everything should be closed on Boxing Day. Sales started the day after Boxing Day for many years .

If the thought is that online sales would damage high street stores , I disagree. Most stores have an online and high street anyway. As it is I think it's hard not to believe that over time more and more shopping will be done online anyway.

My husband worked shifts as an essential services for over 40 years and we had many a disrupted Christmas . Even now he would tell you how much he missed by having to work. Seems to me we should be considering families not sales.

If people WANT to work that's a different matter .

And potentially putting retail staff out of work.

granjura, you misunderstand what I am saying. I'm speaking as someone who worked in retail for over 30 years and I was outraged when shops first opened on Bank Holidays.

However, it's a fact of modern life that some folk can't wait to spend money and buy things and if they can't go out to the shops and buy then they will spend their money on-line. Sadly, the stores and shops rely on Boxing Day as one of their big money earning days, to take it away from them is just giving on-line stores another unfair advantage.