Next employees offered a 20% bonus

selina2000

... if they are prepared to volunteer to go into stores to help pick online orders.

While all of its stores are closed to the public, the retailer says there are some items in its shops which have already been ordered and promised to online customers.

The retailer said a "very small group of volunteers" will pick the orders under "strict supervision and social distancing rules".

Those selected will benefit from a 20% pay rise

onwards&upwards

That does not strike me as an act of kindness I’m afraid.  More like a bribe to risk lives for the sake of profits. 

Nobody needs new clothes right now.  Very sad. 

Savvy_Sue

onwards&upwards said:

Nobody needs new clothes right now.  Very sad. 

that's not necessarily true. One of my friends found a pair of jeans had 'gone' at a critical point for modesty, and having not long ago had a sort out they didn't have a lot else to wear! Fortunately a Facebook post sorted the problem. ;-)

HornetSaver

onwards&upwards said:

That does not strike me as an act of kindness I’m afraid.  More like a bribe to risk lives for the sake of profits. 

Nobody needs new clothes right now.  Very sad. 

Oddly, and for positive reasons rather than difficulty in accessing food, I anticipate losing a lot of weight over the next few months. I genuinely am going to need new clothes. Whether that means that clothing retailers should be operating is a separate question - me wearing a belt and a very baggy t-shirt when I am first able to do a clothes shop won't kill me - but the idea that we can suspend the sale of clothes indefinitely is one I'd query. The alternative would be to say that the tools and materials necessary to facilitate home modification of clothes should be considered critical - but all this would do is shift the risk to a different set of people in what I would imagine are smaller premises.

onwards&upwards

HornetSaver said:b

onwards&upwards said:

That does not strike me as an act of kindness I’m afraid.  More like a bribe to risk lives for the sake of profits. 

Nobody needs new clothes right now.  Very sad. 

Oddly, and for positive reasons rather than difficulty in accessing food, I anticipate losing a lot of weight over the next few months. I genuinely am going to need new clothes. Whether that means that clothing retailers should be operating is a separate question - me wearing a belt and a very baggy t-shirt when I am first able to do a clothes shop won't kill me - but the idea that we can suspend the sale of clothes indefinitely is one I'd query. The alternative would be to say that the tools and materials necessary to facilitate home modification of clothes should be considered critical - but all this would do is shift the risk to a different set of people in what I would imagine are smaller premises.

Of course not indefinitely!  I just can’t consider Next essential at the moment and I worry for all the people working to process the massive amount of online shopping people are going to be doing through boredom, or to cheer themselves up, which of course is only natural! 

The examples above are good ones I didn’t think of though.  Maybe clothes swaps/banks could be set up somehow, or the supermarkets could carry on selling them and set up a way to include clothes in their online deliveries?

Willing2Learn

Next have announced they are closing their warehouse and distribution operations from 1800 today.  No more online orders until further notice

Savvy_Sue

onwards&upwards said:

Maybe clothes swaps/banks could be set up somehow, or the supermarkets could carry on selling them and set up a way to include clothes in their online deliveries?

I can't see clothes swaps / banks being sensible any time soon, and I'm not sure about the supermarkets either: I know someone working for one where they've been told to close off the aisles with clothes and toys because they are non-essentials. They are getting a certain amount of grief from some of the Great British Public (which fortunately managers have been dealing with robustly!) but as they point out, the more they have for sale, the longer people spend browsing, which means longer queues to get in and more potential for cross-infection. 

it is not an easy one ... 

ladyholly

There could be an argument for adult clothes but childrens clothes are an essential especially shoes or we will end up with a nation of children with foot problems.

FreeBear

onwards&upwards said: Nobody needs new clothes right now.  Very sad. 

I am in need of new underwear & socks - Had been putting off until I could go in to town, but few retailers stock the small sizes. My lodger is also in need of some summer clothes now that spring is here as much of her stuff has holes or doesn't fit too well.

Whilst the likes of Sainsburys & Asda sell some clothes, they don't stock the sizes either of us require.

onwards&upwards

ladyholly said:g

There could be an argument for adult clothes but childrens clothes are an essential especially shoes or we will end up with a nation of children with foot problems.

Yes that’s true.

sharpe106

Non essential shops have only been told to closed, nobody has said that the employers can't pay the staff to go in if they want, like any other business can. As surely plenty of shops still have things to do even if not trading.