"David Wright" wrote in message
...
I think it's stupid they have to close on Easter Sunday, it's only a
Sunday like any other, nothing special about it, why shouldn't I be able
to shop just because a few silly people think it's a special day.


Geez, what did you do 15 years ago when all shops were closed on Sundays,
and some shops even closed at noon on Saturdays? Must have really panicked
you!

Many shops tended to close early (~16:00 on Saturdays).

What did I used to do? Well like many people I worked five days a week,
often late, so getting to the shops when they were actually open from Monday
to Friday was difficult.

This meant the ONLY day I could go shopping was Saturday, so like tens of
millions of other people I used to cram into buses or argue over car parking
places to get there. Then I used to jostle with the large numbers of other
shoppers before all the fresh food ran out and queue up for ages to pay
before trying to find somewhere on the bus to put my groceries because the
luggage rack was already full and then stand most of the way home.

Thank goodness Sunday shopping was liberalised in England (in more civilised
Scotland, it has never been restricted). The pretext was so Xtian people
can attend church.

Of course the nearest church to me is packed to the doors, with cars parked
up for half a kilometer in every direction, but that's on Fridays because it
was converted to a Mosque some years ago. Nationally under 2% attend church
regularly, probably well less than 1% in urban areas, like where I live and
most Sunday trading takes place. Judaism appears to be flagging a bit as
well, with best offers invited for either one of the two local Synagogues.


I reckon there is no more money to go round with 7-day opening - people
just spread their shopping over more days - if all shops closed on Sundays
again, I wonder if it would affect takings?

Yes, because a lot more people would start buying off the web. At the
moment internet shopping is dominated by Tesco, Sainsbury etc., however a
new entrant without the sky high overheads of large stores and just an el
cheapo warehouse on an industrial estate could undercut them savagely and
still make a profit. Such places already exist (Cash & Carry's), and I bulk
buy from them now.


D.


PS The Easter Sunday closure was an amendment put in by once Liberal Lord
Alton. OTOH there are no restrictions on [the even holier] Good Friday, so
all the shops are open then. There are no restrictions on Xmas day opening,
but very few shops open then.