Sunday Trading Laws... Beginning of the End?

[oyster]

For those arguing that trade will not improve as people can simply move their purchases to when the shops are open - would you expect trade to be unaffected if stores were only allowed to open for 6 hours each day of the week?

[Jayfish]

Countdown said:

Jayfish said:

The extra trade we do sunday evening because Tesco down the road is forced to shut is a large part of what keeps us viable, but if you want to loose specialists then go right ahead and let supermarkets have free reign

If you're a specialist surely you'll always get the people who value your goods/services. It seems as if you're relying on desperate shoppers rather than being able to compete with the likes of Tesco.

I know what you mean but it's not quite so simple; as an example we stock around 450 different spirits from all over the world and have a local reputation as the place to go for things that can't be found in the multiples. This however isn't our bread and butter, it's the mid range wines and beers that generate the majority of our trade, the income from these enables us to stock the slow moving but otherwise unavailable elsewhere items.

This Sunday alone our takings were down 30% due to Tesco, which is 50 meters away, being open four hours longer. I't not going to kill us but it certainly eats into our profit and slows our ability to expand.

We're not going to go under because of it, but if the multiples get a further stranglehold on the high street other independents closer to the red line may disapear. How many Greengrocers and Fishmongers and Butchers are out of business already?

I like a fresh locally reared turkey at Christmas, but if the situation persists I'll have to make do with the battery farmed water injected crap that becomes my only option...

Independents, use them or lose them.

Edited by Jayfish on Tuesday 31st July 01:24

[Colonial]

matchmaker said:

No - as I've said previously (several times ) on this thread, we've had Sunday trading in Scotland for years. The fabric of society hasn't collapsed, no kittens or bunny wabbits have died, and I haven't been aware of the Four Horsemen galloping down the High Street

And here in Australia too.

I do most of my shopping at farmers markets and butchers/greengrocers etc.

I pop into the supermarket to get detergent, laundry powder, toilet paper and whatever I can't get at the farmers market later on Sunday. The fact that it is open longer means I can actually go to the smaller retailers, get the better quality stuff and then if I can't get can go to the larger retailer instead.

If the larger retailer shared the same hours as the smaller retailer I would likely just do one big shop at the big retailer.

[wolves_wanderer]

oyster said:

For those arguing that trade will not improve as people can simply move their purchases to when the shops are open - would you expect trade to be unaffected if stores were only allowed to open for 6 hours each day of the week?

No, of course not.

Being as shops are already allowed to open 150 hours a week, do you expect a massive uplift now that the final 18 are in play?

[Eric Mc]

Murph7355 said:

As for traffic, sheer volume of cars on the road is likely to have more to do with driving displeasure than some notion that the roads were empty because no one could shop on a Sunday. If you get your arse out of bed at 5am you can still get a few hours of empty roads most days of the week. Or move outside the crowded suburbs - barely any traffic where I am most of the time, and crackIng roads.

Look at the volume of artics which are linked to supermarket deliveries. I would say every third truck on the road shows a supermarket logo - and quite a few more trucks carying the name of logistic companies are also delivering to the supermarkets. If there was no Sunday trading, for at least one day in the week (not necessarily Sunday, of course) the volume of those particular vehiicles would reduce.

[thinfourth2]

wolves_wanderer said:

oyster said:

For those arguing that trade will not improve as people can simply move their purchases to when the shops are open - would you expect trade to be unaffected if stores were only allowed to open for 6 hours each day of the week?

No, of course not.

Being as shops are already allowed to open 150 hours a week, do you expect a massive uplift now that the final 18 are in play?

But for some reason if they are open the final 18 hours then it is the downfall of society

[0000]

Reduced on one day at the expense of the other days.

[Eric Mc]

thinfourth2 said:

But for some reason if they are open the final 18 hours then it is the downfall of society

It all helps condemn us to be looked on as economic consumers rather than human beings.

When people wonder about what has "gone wrong" with society, this urge to turn us into spenders and borrowers for the profits of large companies has had a large part to play in this downward slide.

[FiF]

Sorry to go into heebeegeetee mode but trucks do not cause or significantly add to traffic congestion. It's private cars which cause congestion.

Look at the M1, say, on a Sunday. Earlier in the day, yes there might be lots of trucks on the supermarket delivery run, but the congestion starts around 5pm, it's pretty much all cars heading back after the weekend / day out. A significant number driving appallingly with middle lane owners out in force a particular problem.

[Eric Mc]

Overtaking the trucks in the inside lane

[wolves_wanderer]

thinfourth2 said:

wolves_wanderer said:

oyster said:

For those arguing that trade will not improve as people can simply move their purchases to when the shops are open - would you expect trade to be unaffected if stores were only allowed to open for 6 hours each day of the week?

No, of course not.

Being as shops are already allowed to open 150 hours a week, do you expect a massive uplift now that the final 18 are in play?

But for some reason if they are open the final 18 hours then it is the downfall of society

I don't believe I said that. Just that the benefits have been exaggerated.

[Pork]

Eric Mc said:

It all helps condemn us to be looked on as economic consumers rather than human beings.

When people wonder about what has "gone wrong" with society, this urge to turn us into spenders and borrowers for the profits of large companies has had a large part to play in this downward slide.

Hit the nail on the head there.

[Countdown]

Eric Mc said:

It all helps condemn us to be looked on as economic consumers rather than human beings.

When people wonder about what has "gone wrong" with society, this urge to turn us into spenders and borrowers for the profits of large companies has had a large part to play in this downward slide.

(a) How should they treat us, other than as economic consumers ?

(b) I would suggest lack of self-control has more to do with society rather than any actions by large companies.

[Shay HTFC]

Countdown said:

Eric Mc said:

It all helps condemn us to be looked on as economic consumers rather than human beings.

When people wonder about what has "gone wrong" with society, this urge to turn us into spenders and borrowers for the profits of large companies has had a large part to play in this downward slide.

(a) How should they treat us, other than as economic consumers ?

(b) I would suggest lack of self-control has more to do with society rather than any actions by large companies.

We are all just human though and can't all be self-control heroes.

If society in general takes advantage of peoples' weaknesses in order to sell more stuff (see psychologically manipulative adverts for eg) then its only ever going to end up badly.

[dandarez]

Murph7355 said:

dandarez said:

...
Day of rest? I didn't rest on them but at least you had the choice to.
...

You never used to rest anyway, but you're having a good old moan. Did you use to while away your Sundays finding something to moan about?

How will this change impact you one bit?

Regardless of whether the shops are open as normal on Sundays or not, you still have the choice of busying yourself (or not). Meanwhile, those who want to spend their lives in TKMaxx can do. Those who need/want to earn some extra cash can do.

It seems to me that everyone has their choice now free from legal incumberence. Happy days.

As for traffic, sheer volume of cars on the road is likely to have more to do with driving displeasure than some notion that the roads were empty because no one could shop on a Sunday. If you get your arse out of bed at 5am you can still get a few hours of empty roads most days of the week. Or move outside the crowded suburbs - barely any traffic where I am most of the time, and crackIng roads.

The 'point' was not about 'my' choice. The 'point' was about those behind the tills, having to work extra hours and who don't want to - where's 'their' choice?

Anyway, I've just come back from the same supermarket I mentioned.
You heard it here first.

Ha bloody ha. Their scheme is falling apart. The Sunday extension is NOT going to be continued... in fact, the same assistant tells me some staff have been told not to come in, takings are well down (what a surprise) and once the trial ends it's back to 'normal' Sunday trading times.

She asked the boss why can't they revert back to normal now?
'Oh, we can't do that because customers will complain about the fact it was advertised we'd be open at these specific times'

[paulrussell]

dandarez said:

Murph7355 said:

dandarez said:

...
Day of rest? I didn't rest on them but at least you had the choice to.
...

You never used to rest anyway, but you're having a good old moan. Did you use to while away your Sundays finding something to moan about?

How will this change impact you one bit?

Regardless of whether the shops are open as normal on Sundays or not, you still have the choice of busying yourself (or not). Meanwhile, those who want to spend their lives in TKMaxx can do. Those who need/want to earn some extra cash can do.

It seems to me that everyone has their choice now free from legal incumberence. Happy days.

As for traffic, sheer volume of cars on the road is likely to have more to do with driving displeasure than some notion that the roads were empty because no one could shop on a Sunday. If you get your arse out of bed at 5am you can still get a few hours of empty roads most days of the week. Or move outside the crowded suburbs - barely any traffic where I am most of the time, and crackIng roads.

The 'point' was not about 'my' choice. The 'point' was about those behind the tills, having to work extra hours and who don't want to - where's 'their' choice?

Anyway, I've just come back from the same supermarket I mentioned.
You heard it here first.

Ha bloody ha. Their scheme is falling apart. The Sunday extension is NOT going to be continued... in fact, the same assistant tells me some staff have been told not to come in, takings are well down (what a surprise) and once the trial ends it's back to 'normal' Sunday trading times.

She asked the boss why can't they revert back to normal now?
'Oh, we can't do that because customers will complain about the fact it was advertised we'd be open at these specific times'

People aren't forced to work longer on Sundays. It's head office that decide wether or not stores open longer, store managers have no say wehter there store will be open longer.

[StephenM44]

I wish most shops opened late a couple of days a week, say 12 midday to 7.30pm so those of us who work and don't want to spend our weekends visiting shops, can still shop without taking a day off. Weekends are for fun and family, not shopping. That should be true for the shop staff too. Many car dealers are now shut on Sundays too and you'd think a car is the ideal purchase for a weekend . . . but not so apparently.

Society is dumbing down and shopping at Tesco is the ideal "sport" for a dumbed society, easy parking, cheap goods, plenty of pies and sweets . . . it's really sad !

[Dixie68]

Well I guess retail must be a special sector then as they seem to be the only sector not regularly working weekends.

[0000]

Thank God there's one sector of society holding us all together. Who'd have thought it was retail staff.

[The Hypno-Toad]

Rain falls in winter.

Pope Catholic

Bears do st in the woods.

Even with all the retailers in London claiming that trade has decreased during the Olympics..

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2187243/Su...

What a fking surprise.