Should all shops be closed on Boxing Day?

duchy

Raspberry_Queen wrote: »

UK Parliament, I would ask what effect this would have on the economy, especially the high street, which are struggling to compete with online shopping.

If they were all closed absolutely no impact whatsoever . People who prefer to shop in person would simply do it a day later (which this year also happens to be a bank holiday as Christmas Day falls on a weekend.)

If you decide at midnight you need a new dress you don't not buy it because Debenhams wasn't open for you to try it on at midnight, you go when they are open. If you aren't bothered about trying it on first you'd have bought online in the first place.

A few years ago I made arrangements to visit a friend for Boxing Day lunch after my son's Dad picked him up. Journey that takes half an hour maximum took over two hours because of all the lemmings trying to get into Bluewater and Lakeside , the car park queues tailed right back onto the main roads. I couldn't imagine a more miserable "leisure activity" for Boxing Day.

annandale

Shopping a day later, there would still be revenue lost if the shops were closed on boxing day. It's like saying all the people who would have shopped on the 26th would simply shop on the 27th instead when in reality people will shop on the 26th and others on the 27th, 28th etc

It's a day closed so of course the economy would be affected

duchy

annandale wrote: »

Shopping a day later, there would still be revenue lost if the shops were closed on boxing day. It's like saying all the people who would have shopped on the 26th would simply shop on the 27th instead when in reality people will shop on the 26th and others on the 27th, 28th etc

It's a day closed so of course the economy would be affected

No.
If you have £200 to spend on clothes in the sales , whether you buy them on the 26th or 27th the amount you spend is the same. You don't have more disposable income available based on the days and times the shops are open .

In fact if the stores were closed on Boxing Day the weekly wage bill, heat, light, security etc costs would be one seventh less so profitability would in fact be higher.

If my washing machine dies on the 26th I don't not replace it at all because I can't shop for it on that day, I just buy it the following day.

catkins

duchy wrote: »

No.
If you have £200 to spend on clothes in the sales , whether you buy them on the 26th or 27th the amount you spend is the same. You don't have more disposable income available based on the days and times the shops are open .

In fact if the stores were closed on Boxing Day the weekly wage bill, heat, light, security etc costs would be one seventh less so profitability would in fact be higher.

If my washing machine dies on the 26th I don't not replace it at all because I can't shop for it on that day, I just buy it the following day.

Exactly. The same is true of shops opening on Sundays. If none of them opened then people would just shop another day so the supermarket would not lose out. Also, as you say, there would be a saving as they would not be using electric, paying staff for that day etc.

Proxima_Centauri

The debate is taking place in Parliament today, from 4.30 till 7.30pm

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-38286794

Teapot55

Here's the link to the transcript of the debate:

https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2016-12-12/debates/11A5F923-B176-464D-8C10-6DAEBB4A3F30/RetailStoreClosureBoxingDay

Teapot55

Teapot55 wrote: »

Here's the link to the transcript of the debate:

https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2016-12-12/debates/11A5F923-B176-464D-8C10-6DAEBB4A3F30/RetailStoreClosureBoxingDay

I have read about half of the above so far.

I think this year I am going to treat Christmas like Lent & give some stuff up . . . for love of my fellow man/woman:

On Christmas Day & Boxing Day I will try to:

• not do internet shopping
• be careful so I do not have an accident & need medical care
• not go to any shops
• not go to the pub
• not go for petrol

Any other ideas?


(I will be flushing the toilet, using mains water, etc