[News] Close supermarkets on Sundays?

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

A day off when all your friends and family are at work is not always the greatest fun.

I was explaining to the fella who, in seriousness or jest, appeared to be under the assumption said workers work 7 days a week and never get a day off, and appeared to be using this as a reason to go back to Sunday closure (and the Long Dark Teatime of the Soul). I suspect he may have been having a little joke. At least, I hope so.

I know it isn't fun to work Saturday and Sunday. I did that myself for 6 months way back when. I've done nights as well.

If our economy ever becomes sufficiently buoyant, and people find thay can obtain employment that does not require they work on a day or at an hour that doesn't suit them, we may find there is an economic pressure to shut shops on a Sunday as the staff salary demands would make it uneconomical. Saturday afternoon too, perhaps.

I suspect, however that this coming to pass is about as likely as a new series of Love Thy Neighbour being commissioned, staring Jim Davidson and Big Narstie, and it winning a Bafta.

 

[Icy Gull]

I was explaining to the fella who, in seriousness or jest, appeared to be under the assumption said workers work 7 days a week and never get a day off, and appeared to be using this as a reason to go back to Sunday closure (and the Long Dark Teatime of the Soul). I suspect he may have been having a little joke. At least, I hope so.

I know it isn't fun to work Saturday and Sunday. I did that myself for 6 months way back when. I've done nights as well.

If our economy ever becomes sufficiently buoyant, and people find thay can obtain employment that does not require they work on a day or at an hour that doesn't suit them, we may find there is an economic pressure to shut shops on a Sunday as the staff salary demands would make it uneconomical. Saturday afternoon too, perhaps.

I suspect, however that this coming to pass is about as likely as a new series of Love Thy Neighbour being commissioned, staring Jim Davidson and Big Narstie, and it winning a Bafta.

I remember the days when businesses and shops closed for an hour or so at lunchtime, sadly missed these days imo

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

I remember the days when businesses and shops closed for an hour or so at lunchtime, sadly missed these days imo

Nostalgia is a thing of the past as far as I am concerned. The retrospectoscope, with its rose-tinted lenses, is a seductive but treacherous device.

I think if we actually found ourselves plonked in 1972, or 1964, we would be horrified by the monotony, the lack of freedom, the petty minded ignorance, and the body odour.

 

[Stat Brother]

Nostalgia is a thing of the past as far as I am concerned. The retrospectoscope, with its rose-tinted lenses, is a seductive but treacherous device.

I think if we actually found ourselves plonked in 1972, or 1964, we would be horrified by the monotony, the lack of freedom, the petty minded ignorance, and the body odour.

At least it was sunny everyday and Wagon Wheels were the size of your face.

 

[GT49er]

I remember the days when businesses and shops closed for an hour or so at lunchtime, sadly missed these days imo

Ah, those happy days before ATMs when the banks closed for lunch the same time that you took yours! Then closed again at 3 o'clock, two hours before you got out of work to go home!

 

[Icy Gull]

Nostalgia is a thing of the past as far as I am concerned. The retrospectoscope, with its rose-tinted lenses, is a seductive but treacherous device.

I think if we actually found ourselves plonked in 1972, or 1964, we would be horrified by the monotony, the lack of freedom, the petty minded ignorance, and the body odour.

An hour in the pub or a sandwich at your desk, I know which I’d prefer at lunchtime. I would bloody love life to go back to being simpler and less bean counter led

Monotony, lack of freedom? You are having a laugh!

Although I take your point on petty minded ignorance, I was sent some 1970’s jokes the other day. It made me cringe...and I used to tell them

 

[Diablo]

With all that is going on right now and people saying how they are enjoying the peace and quiet, less pressure, time with the family etc, how would you feel about going back to supermarkets being closed on Sundays? Keep convenience stores open, and petrol station, and pubs etc etc, just close the BIG stores and malls. Would it improve life?

Certainly make the queues longer on other days at the moment. See no reason at all why it would improve life !! It would make things harder for people who grocery shop at weekends.

 

[LlcoolJ]

An hour in the pub or a sandwich at your desk, I know which I’d prefer at lunchtime. I would bloody love life to go back to being simpler and less bean counter led

Monotony, lack of freedom? You are having a laugh!

Although I take your point on petty minded ignorance, I was sent some 1970’s jokes the other day. It made me cringe...and I used to tell them

Nah. Nostalgia is great but it definitely doesn't mean that life in the 70s/80s was better than it is now.

Mainly because it WASN'T.

In answer to the OP, let every business open whenever they want to. "Opening hours" enforced by the government are an archaic nonsense which is gradually dying (fortunately).

Especially this Sunday rubbish which is purely down to that made up book that people used to think was fact.

And Icy, when the hell was life less "bean counter led"? Tell me which year "Money Makes The World Go Round" was written, ........and then go back a couple of thousand years.

 

[father_and_son]

Given the economic conditions we will be facing once the lockdown is lifted, removing 1/7 of retail opportunities would be a monumentally stupid thing to do.

Those that have actually done ok during this difficult time (still worked, spent less, saved more) need to be sharing the wealth as best they can (ie spend spend spend) so that we kick start the economy to help everyone who was totally f**ked as a result of this pandemic. Retail therapy, impulse buying, etc will be *good* things for the economy and therefore all of us moving forward (provided you are doing it because you can afford to).

Keep shops open, open earlier, stay open later. Let the (new to) retail staff keep their temporary jobs and earn more, at least until the economy is off its knees.

 

[Icy Gull]

Nah. Nostalgia is great but it definitely doesn't mean that life in the 70s/80s was better than it is now.

Mainly because it WASN'T.

In answer to the OP, let every business open whenever they want to. "Opening hours" enforced by the government are an archaic nonsense which is gradually dying (fortunately).

Especially this Sunday rubbish which is purely down to that made up book that people used to think was fact.

And Icy, when the hell was life less "bean counter led"? Tell me which year "Money Makes The World Go Round" was written, ........and then go back a couple of thousand years.

You are an accountant, a witty and bright one, I cannot win this argument but I bloody loved the late Sixties, early seventies before responsibility and mills round my neck changed things for ever. Nobody will ever convince me that it wasn’t a fantastic time to be young.

I changed my job every six months without a problem, can you do that now? I actually enjoyed all of them whilst I was doing them too but changed as the mood took me. Working in England and abroad. It was fantastic.

 

[father_and_son]

An hour in the pub or a sandwich at your desk, I know which I’d prefer at lunchtime. I would bloody love life to go back to being simpler and less bean counter led

Monotony, lack of freedom? You are having a laugh!

Although I take your point on petty minded ignorance, I was sent some 1970’s jokes the other day. It made me cringe...and I used to tell them

We could just go back to the days when women didn't work and had time to shop for the household during the week and half day closing and lunch hours were things that didn't inconvenience people because men were working and the little woman had all day to balance her shopping, cleaning and cooking duties.

The good old days? F**k that. The 70s were shit for half the population and, frankly, not that much better for the other half.

 

[dazzer6666]

Seemed to get by years ago?

Not seen any data from the last pandemic.

 

[Icy Gull]

We could just go back to the days when women didn't work and had time to shop for the household during the week and half day closing and lunch hours were things that didn't inconvenience people because men were working and the little woman had all day to balance her shopping, cleaning and cooking duties.

The good old days? F**k that. The 70s were shit for half the population and, frankly, not that much better for the other half.

I enjoyed them. I didn’t have much money, girls were feminine and sexy and I loved it, what can I say

I know some shit was going down but life was simpler and I was happy and carefree. Maybe I was just lucky.

I am still married to the girl I met in 1976 and have two happily married kids and four grandkids. Life is much more complicated for them than it was for me. They are much better off financially than I was too but they have way more stress in their lives than we had.

 

[dazzer6666]

I remember the days when businesses and shops closed for an hour or so at lunchtime, sadly missed these days imo

Used to be half-day closing on Wednesday as well in my village.

 

[papajaff]

Stop getting Boundary Road, Station Road and Carlton Terrace wrong!!!! Shouted in Alan Partridge style when they kept getting Bond wrong.

Spent the first 25 years of my life on Boundary Road. Paper round directly opposite in Bands. All my vinyl from Kemp and Turner on Carlton Terrace.

 

[LlcoolJ]

Given the economic conditions we will be facing once the lockdown is lifted, removing 1/7 of retail opportunities would be a monumentally stupid thing to do.

Those that have actually done ok during this difficult time (still worked, spent less, saved more) need to be sharing the wealth as best they can (ie spend spend spend) so that we kick start the economy to help everyone who was totally f**ked as a result of this pandemic. Retail therapy, impulse buying, etc will be *good* things for the economy and therefore all of us moving forward (provided you are doing it because you can afford to).

Keep shops open, open earlier, stay open later. Let the (new to) retail staff keep their temporary jobs and earn more, at least until the economy is off its knees.

Bang on. Or as Modern Toss succinctly put it during the last crash.....

 

[seagull_special]

With all that is going on right now and people saying how they are enjoying the peace and quiet, less pressure, time with the family etc, how would you feel about going back to supermarkets being closed on Sundays? Keep convenience stores open, and petrol station, and pubs etc etc, just close the BIG stores and malls. Would it improve life?

I would even go as to suggest a 4 day week and make the 5th day community day, which we spend doing something that benefits society. Helping out frail relatives or doing voluntary work.

 

[Blue Valkyrie]

An hour in the pub or a sandwich at your desk, I know which I’d prefer at lunchtime. I would bloody love life to go back to being simpler and less bean counter led

Monotony, lack of freedom? You are having a laugh!

Although I take your point on petty minded ignorance, I was sent some 1970’s jokes the other day. It made me cringe...and I used to tell them

I used to love going to the pub at lunchtime in the 90s for 2 pints - paid for with luncheon vouchers - before the americanisation of my company at the time caused it to be frowned on, and desk sandwiches became the standard

Even better, and further back, my grandfather used to work 'gentlemans hours' at a bank in London, 10am start finishing at 4, back home in Southwick for 6.

 

[GT49er]

You are an accountant, a witty and bright one, I cannot win this argument but I bloody loved the late Sixties, early seventies before responsibility and mills round my neck changed things for ever. Nobody will ever convince me that it wasn’t a fantastic time to be young.

You're right, it was a fantastic time in many ways - the girls were much prettier back then (OK, I know that's just my opinion, and many will disagree; fair enough. It's probably an age thing) - but more to the point, back then some of those pretty girls actually fancied me! All between the coming of the pill and before AIDS too ...............

 

[LlcoolJ]

You are an accountant, a witty and bright one, I cannot win this argument but I bloody loved the late Sixties, early seventies before responsibility and mills round my neck changed things for ever. Nobody will ever convince me that it wasn’t a fantastic time to be young.

I changed my job every six months without a problem, can you do that now? I actually enjoyed all of them whilst I was doing them too but changed as the mood took me. Working in England and abroad. It was fantastic.

As I said. Nostalgia is great. I loved growing up in the 80s. I was lucky and had a brilliant time. And I was young and didn't have a care in the world.

As you said. Responsibilities change things forever. But that's the same whichever period you live in.

It's just rose tinted specs mate! Everyone does it.

But **** Sunday closing. That was really shite.