What Are Your Feeling On The Sunday Trading Laws?

[sp1814]

Have we got it just about right, or do you think that shops should be allowed to open longer?

http://www.theguardian.com/business/2016/mar/09/cameron-defeated-in-commons-over-plans-to-relax-sunday-trading-laws

If we can shop all day on the Internet on Sundays, and we can go for a KFC, McDonalds all day on Sunday, why can't we go and buy an Ikea sofa, or a John Lewis lampshade or a pack of AA batteries from our local hardware store all day?

Are the Sunday trading hours out of date?

[naomi24]

Yes, they are out of date.

[david small]

If they want to open, let them.

[MallyJ]

Does it take longer than 6 hours to go to IKEA for a sofa or John Lewis for a lampshade? Surely retail workers should be allowed one day a week to have a leisurely breakfast with their families ... I can't believe that people really have to go out shopping for more than 6 hours at a time or can only shop on Sundays.

[woofgang]

I do think that they are out of date but to be honest I wouldn’t care either if all shops, shut on a Sunday, except perhaps I’d revive the chemist rota.

[naomi24]

MallyJ, //I can't believe that people .... can only shop on Sundays.//

Of some, you should believe it.

[RATTER15]

I think all shops should open as when they feel the need, why not?

Out dated nonsense!!

[Jackdaw33]

I wonder if any shops still operate half-day closing midweek. It used to be the norm. When I worked in a shoe shop we closed on Wednesday afternoon and we had a morning off on different days.

[paddywak]

As long as they don't close the pubs,Trish wouldn't be a happy bunny if she had to start cooking Sunday lunches again

[Peter Pedant]

and closed over lunch time
yeah I recollect that....

You presumably caught the sound bite on sunday opening when the old fella mentioned - half day closing
Sunday opening is a different fish

I also caught the bit where the Beeb hack said - well junior doctors do it....
and got a bit of a flea in his ear

[Peter Pedant]

// Are the Sunday trading hours out of date?//

are more related to long hours with low pay
than being allowed time to go and pray...

and so are NOT really out of date

[twix123]

Unfortunately Sundays are the only days that some shop workers can shop - if they're not working in the shops themselves that is.

If you're desperate for a pack of AA batteries, go to your local 'corner shop', they can open for longer hours, due to their smaller floor space, than the larger stores.

[Jackdaw33]

It used to be the case that on a Sunday you could buy a pornographic magazine but you couldn't buy a Bible.

[Gromit]

I repeat my comment fro the AOG thread....

// Why should the Government stop us shopping when we want? What is it to do with them when we can trade and shop.
And we can shop on-line 24/7, With such meddling, no wonder our high street are on their knees. //

[jno]

High streets are up against rivals like Amazon, who don't bother to pay tax.

[pixie374]

Very updated.

[pixie374]

...outdated:-)

[DTCwordfan]

totally outdated

However our councils do sweet eff all - if anything like down here, they should consider how best to create town centre regneration along the lines of what Manchester and Liverpool have been doing

key points would be:

* grants and encouragement to use in-town housing, especially above shops and upgrade the housing stock - this alone generates small shops, restaurants, bars etc in town and slows the the burn of green land.

* change the rates structure so that it isn't a huge burden on businesses - more like a flat fee set about 1/4 or 1/3 of current fees and a percentage sales-tax-like take of proceeds - sharing in the success of the business or not.

* more incentives such as phasing taxes in on new small shops and businesses

* tax extra on shopping parks and the big brands who go out there to lower their costs and suck business out

* better understand the core of what their town is about and position accordingly. Down here Truro should be a destination for tourism for rainy days and hence should focus on the arts heritage that we have. Nothing is done about that - sweet eff all. I know of an example near Houston where a sugar refinery has closed down and that was used by the local council to establish an artisan park, not only in terms of facilities and grants etc but the businesses have access to professional advice funded by the council. The place has become a destination centre in its own right and the malls like it as customers will come on to them after visiting it.

*slash car park fees - up to £4-20 down here for 3 hours in the centre - scandalous - and slash the excessive costs in the council itself.

* don't pissh away money on things like flowers for the town when you are closing basic facilities like bogs, touring libraries and old people centres.

In short, use some bleddy common sense for once and not live off legacy and history. Life has moved on. As to religion, the fact that less than 5 percent of folk go to church says it all......

[pixie374]

"Tradition" is often the excuse for carrying on with something old-fashioned and no longer appropriate.

[Old_Geezer]

I think that the present situation in England and Wales is adequate, but with proper worker protection in place banning "normal opening hours" would be difficult to justify.

However it's my opinion that the whole of the UK should have the same rules; I don't believe that the large stores being open should be a 'postcode lottery' type situation. Especially if one area has unilaterally decided it for their area yet insist that they have a right to a say about what is decided in another.

[murraymints]

did not realise that England still had strange Sunday shopping, up here everything is open as normal