Everything to do with Shops

[born2run]

Give the staff a break, why must everything be open all the time? If you haven't had a chance to do your shopping in the other 6 days and the 6 hours on a Sunday then you don't deserve your shopping. Ban football on a Sunday as well

[cygnusx-1]

If you cannot cope with the current opening hours you must have a very disorganized lifestyle.....bring back half day closing in the week I say!!

[Blongb]

What was the point of trying to push water up hill. If a shop wanted to open for extended hours on a Sunday they just stocked Newspapers to get around the existing law. This is facing up to the reality of what has already happened and the modern world we now live in. Good or bad who's to judge, all I know is when they de-regularised licencing hours I was able to choose when I went for a drink and not have some bureaucrat or sanctimonious God bother'er tell me. 

[Ian]

It's an interesting one. But I can't see how they can justify their claim that it could be worth "£1.4bn to the economy". Surely there'll only be the same amount of cash to splurge?

But it does pose the wider question of whether a Sunday should return to the more peaceful day of yore. Having said that Police, NHS staff, Hotel workers and many others don't get every Sunday off.

[Yelboh]

Personally I think that it is all about choice - choice for the retailer, shopper and worker.  Current sunday trading laws do not support these choices for the retailer or the shopper, although it does support the right of the worker on Sunday - every worker has the right to opt out of Sunday working giving 12 weeks notice, without being discriminated against.  In Scotland they are already deregulated and some big shops trade from 10 - 6, in line I guess with what customers want.  One of the key aspects of retailing is being there when your customers want to shop.  I would suggest that customers are already demonstrating that Sunday is when they are wanting to do this.  An article I have read specifies transactions are growing faster on a Sunday than any other day - from memory I think it was a card companies data.  I also know from specific experience that Sunday is the biggest percentage growth day of the week, and £ per hour can outstrip most weekdays.  Removing customers from shops at the end of Sunday trading is difficult too, demonstrating too the demand for longer hours.

[born2run]

I don't understand it all. If on a very rare occasion we have needed something after 6 on a Sunday there is always Spar and Londis type shops open till late.

[SteveH]

Sunday shopping could be getting more of a "Day out" .....or joint decisions on household items furniture etc. also in Llandudno's case out of town shoppers, couple of weeks ago I saw a mini bus unloading a group, outside TK Max   

[DaveR]

Ministers are reported to be writing to the Church of England urging it not to oppose the measures which they argue could be worth up to £1.4 billion a year to the economy while ensuring high streets remain the "heartbeat of our communities".

Why should an unelected body have any say in law making?

[Ian]

Why should an unelected body have any say in law making?

That's a thorny question, since many support the House of Lords and because we don't live in a society where our lawmakers are truly representational. If we did, the government would have a very different appearance.

[DaveR]

Why should an unelected body have any say in law making?

That's a thorny question, since many support the House of Lords and because we don't live in a society where our lawmakers are truly representational. If we did, the government would have a very different appearance.

The House of Lords can act as a useful means of moderating proposed laws. However, we need to rid it of all the political and religious cronies and make it a truly independent elected body.

[Ian]

On that we agree, but I fear it's an impossible task.

[Jonty Hammers]

Thorny and thornier still - I'm an avowed atheist, but see nothing wrong in the CoE expressing an opinion over upcoming legislation or regulation, so long as they do not expect to have a disproportionate effect on the making of that law (which, granted, they are an established church so do have more clout than they ought etc). Like any other clump of people or institution, it has a particular worldview which it wishes to advance and, though I may disagree with it, I respect the church's right to put it forward.

Likewise, I'm sure all sorts of charities put their views forward when it comes to legislation, even though they are not democratically elected.

That said, we live in an increasingly secular society where church attendances are dropping - Sunday is no longer just a day of worship and peace. The pace of life e'er changes.

That said, even though I'm an atheist, I appreciate the comparative break Sunday brings and feel sorry for all those retail workers who will not be able to contest this. While it may give some choice and leg-room for the likes of Tesco et al, individual workers will have little to no choice over their hours - thus, they are likely to be robbed of what little peace they get on Sundays. Shame, really.

[Yelboh]

Sorry Jonty, retail workers can opt out of Sunday working completely  - special law for all retail and betting shop staff.  They can opt out giving 12 weeks notice unless they joined prior to 1994 (I think) when they don't even have to opt out.  Opting out must be at no consequence to staff.  The only time they can't of out is if they have been employed on a Sunday only contract, in which case this implies they wanted to work anyway.  At the moment workers who wish to work Sundays are limited by the trading laws minimising their potential hours!  I just can't see the issue, most stores will naturally choose to only extend their trading hours profitably, so will only look to trade probably another couple of hours anyway. For those who don't like the idea of this, then it's simple - don't shop in those hours.  As I mentioned in my earlier post, to me it's about choice - to deregulate gives the retailer, the shopper and the worker more choice.  How can this be a bad thing?

[wrex]

Heard that Mostyn estates had bought the Victoria center,it sure needs a coat of paint on the veranda;s.

[norman08]

Get your quote in Wrex .