Stafford is Closed!

[Gramaisc]

I imagine that Anthony Rogers needs a day off work after working 6 days from Monday to Saturday. Privately owned shops can't always be open, their owners do need a break from work. I would also imagine that the sales from Sunday trading wouldn't cover the costs of opening.

And Pauline Rogers, his mother and widow of Peter Rogers, the shop's founder, died only recently..

 

[tek-monkey]

The more I think about this, the less I know where I stand. As someone who works full time I can't visit shops that open those same hours (well I can as I work in town, but most people can't), therefore not opening on a Sunday vastly reduces the chance I may spend any money there.

On the other side they deserve days off too, and as I said earlier I believe in having common free time. As an example my mum works nights and my step dad days, meaning weekends is their only time together. If more companies worked weekends, more people would find themselves never able to socialise with certain others. That just isn't right in my book, everyone deserves time off with their significant others (whoever they may be).

Perhaps the solution is people like myself should take time off in the week, and make it back up at weekends? After all, it is me that wants to visit the shop. But I wouldn't do that as I like my weekends off (again hypothetical, I work most Saturdays too even if just for a few hours), so I end up buying online instead.

I dunno, someone has to give for our high street to survive but I'm not sure who. I expect nobody to, and we'll lose the lot of them.

 

[Jonah]

And Pauline Rogers, his mother and widow of Peter Rogers, the shop's founder, died only recently..

She died on 19th April.

 

[shoes]

Frankly we need shops to be open as long as possible at the moment - the economy needs the money circulating. More opening hours = more hours needed to be covered = more hours of employment available. For every person who doesn't want to work a weekend day they'll be someone who wants a weekday off instead - I can't see it difficult filling these vacancies with people who are willing to work those hours.

Sunday trading laws are ridiculous IMO and should be scrapped.

 

[tek-monkey]

Sorry mate but I'm the complete opposite on that one, many businesses will not make enough money to justify employing the staff in the first place so why bother opening extra hours? The shops we are talking about can open if they want, but I don't blame them for not doing so.

I also suspect if all the mon-fri 9-5 desk jockeys got told sorry but your office is now open 24/7 365 and we will choose when we want you in, most would have a fit. I think downtime is essential, what is wrong with closing Tesco for one day a week? If anything closing the big players down encourages the smaller shops, with Tesco shut after 4 the little corner shops near me still had a decent trade. Until Tesco opened a Tesco Extra to take it back off them anyway.

 

[Wormella]

If all of town was closed on Sundays I'd see a little more of my husband, which would be nice...

 

[shoes]

Sorry mate but I'm the complete opposite on that one, many businesses will not make enough money to justify employing the staff in the first place so why bother opening extra hours? The shops we are talking about can open if they want, but I don't blame them for not doing so.

I also suspect if all the mon-fri 9-5 desk jockeys got told sorry but your office is now open 24/7 365 and we will choose when we want you in, most would have a fit. I think downtime is essential, what is wrong with closing Tesco for one day a week? If anything closing the big players down encourages the smaller shops, with Tesco shut after 4 the little corner shops near me still had a decent trade. Until Tesco opened a Tesco Extra to take it back off them anyway.

This is where a little employer/employee communication would help though - I never suggested that they open and force people to work certain hours - in fact quite the opposite - people would fill those slots. Fair enough small shops perhaps not, but the likes of tesco etc. - why not open 24/7?

 

[Jonah]

I thought Tesco and Asda were already open from Monday at 8am to Saturday at 10pm and then on Sundays for 6 hours.

 

[tek-monkey]

Somewhere the size of Tesco sucks business away from all other smaller stores in the area, I suspect less staff are needed to man a Tesco on Sunday than all the corner shops they eventually close down. From where I'm sitting I'd guess there would be higher unemployment if the bigger shops could open 24/7?

Just for the record, Asda employ around 5 people to cover the entire graveyard shift. The till staff have to stock shelves when no customers are about, the security guy helps out too.

 

[shoes]

Ah well, **** local business then - especially where I'm living and working it is impossible to 'pop' into town at lunch, after work they will be closed, I'm invariably tied up Saturdays so sunday is all that's left - if Asda are the only people who want my money on a sunday then have it they shall.

I should think this is a minority of cases, however, so I doubt most businesses are losing much at all as a result.

Saying that, it would be helpful if shops opened later perhaps, or even 11 - 7 or something like that, so all the nine to fivers could come in to shop too.

 

[tek-monkey]

I kind of agree with you, but still think those trapped in retail jobs shouldn't be forced to work the hours 'normal' people get off. You know the **** they pulled on my bro at Home Bargains, and he's not there by choice he's there because he's skint.

 

[shoes]

I agree with you too Tek, and I'm not suggesting people be forced into it - I guarantee if you advertised for a position to cover these unsociable hours someone, somewhere, would apply for it.

 

[tek-monkey]

But I bet its not cos they want to, its cos they are unemployed and want some work. I've taken many jobs with crap hours I didn't actually want to do, but the alternative was life on the dole.

EDIT: Home Bargains as a good example give their staff undetermined working hours, they never know each day what time they will finish making it very hard to get a secondary job (they are all part time). Nobody wants to work in those conditions, but they all do because they have nothing better.

 

[shoes]

Agreed, but I didn't really enjoy working at dominos or sainsburys - it makes me much more careful about how I look after my cushy job these days

Life isn't meant to be easy, and very little is ultimately outside of your control. I have grown to hate my job - I am longing for July to come and I can move into my new role.

I'm pretty sure that those working the graveyard shift at festival park mcdonalds don't like it - but I bet the staff turnover is high as they find a way out. Nothing is forever, and there are some people who are genuinely nocturnal too.

Still can't see the problem with it.

As for home bargains, I don't think it's on with regard to the untethered hours, I can't see why a shop which has fixed trading hours needs such flexibility in the labour hours. Do they state a reason?

 

[tek-monkey]

I believe the reason is they don't give a **** about the staff, as they tend to move on anyway so they milk them while they can. They just say you are here til its finished, don't warn them in advance when large deliveries are coming in and don't usually give them breaks either (breaks are only allowed if you are expected to work over the set amount, apparently they never expect you to as they don't know how slow you will work). You only get breaks if you are there all day, I don't believe many of the staff get one at all.

As for the rest of it, I still think shops should close on a Sunday. There is something nice about knowing you couldn't go shopping/fetch stuff for your garden or DIY etc. even if you wanted to.

 

[shoes]

I believe the reason is they don't give a **** about the staff, as they tend to move on anyway so they milk them while they can. They just say you are here til its finished, don't warn them in advance when large deliveries are coming in and don't usually give them breaks either (breaks are only allowed if you are expected to work over the set amount, apparently they never expect you to as they don't know how slow you will work). You only get breaks if you are there all day, I don't believe many of the staff get one at all.

Sounds like a crock of shit to me Definitely not the kind of people I'd like to work for. Presumably they get lunch breaks etc? Not surprised they have a high staff turnover.

As for the rest of it, I still think shops should close on a Sunday. There is something nice about knowing you couldn't go shopping/fetch stuff for your garden or DIY etc. even if you wanted to.

No, it's ****ing frustrating tbh, if, for example, I'm working on the car, which I often do at the weekend, and despite having prepared as best I could I end up damaging/needing to replace something as part of the procedure I then either have to order it in or wait until the next weekend to get the job done. It simply isn't possible to always forecast what parts you need.

If I could just pop down to unipart or halfords etc. on a sunday evening to get the part it would be really nice. I don't get your point of view of there being something nice about it - there isn't. Don't want to go shopping? Well don't, then. Don't encourage the shops from closing just because you don't want to use them

 

[tek-monkey]

Sounds like a crock of shit to me Definitely not the kind of people I'd like to work for. Presumably they get lunch breaks etc? Not surprised they have a high staff turnover.

Only if they are working the whole day, if you are just part time (well they all are part time, some just happen to work some whole days) you get nowt. My bro gets an hour if he's doing 9-6, but nothing when he was regularily doing 7-1.

No, it's ****ing frustrating tbh, if, for example, I'm working on the car, which I often do at the weekend, and despite having prepared as best I could I end up damaging/needing to replace something as part of the procedure I then either have to order it in or wait until the next weekend to get the job done. It simply isn't possible to always forecast what parts you need.

If I could just pop down to unipart or halfords etc. on a sunday evening to get the part it would be really nice. I don't get your point of view of there being something nice about it - there isn't. Don't want to go shopping? Well don't, then. Don't encourage the shops from closing just because you don't want to use them

But that means more people forced into jobs where they share no common time with their families because you want to fix your car. It isn't really fair that someone at Halfords would now have to work Sunday evening shifts, when their partner may work mon-fri. It means never seeing each other, and certainly never doing anything together. A mate of mine was telling me a few months ago they were going to go from alternating shifts to permanent evenings (2-10), which means he'd only see his kids at weekends despite living with them. Most of these people aren't in positions to pick and choose, they can't just walk into a new job as there really aren't many about that they are qualified for (and if you saw what is happening to the education budget...)

Maybe you shouldn't have bought a house out in the sticks, if you worked and lived in the town center you could get these parts after work

 

[db]

yeah, gotta agree with hetairoi here, for defo.. when the other 'alf's parents visit, it is invariably on a sunday, and we always pop into town for something to eat and the place is completely dead!

So who exactly were closed ?, because asda, sainsburys, tesco, boots, currys, argos and maplins all were open and all sell cameras (ok digital but still cameras although i still prefer my trusty om10) the only other camera shop i can think of is peter rogers and i would never begrudge them a day off as the service they offer is always outstanding.

Jessops is closed on a Sunday.

I believe Currys, PC World and Comet sell cameras and were also open.

they're not in town though, are they? they are big shops on the outskirts.. i get what you're saying - for the OP's particular predicament, he probably had plenty of options - but stafford is defo like a ghost town on a sunday and it would be nice if there was a bit more to draw people in on a sunday afternoon, especially if the weather's nice!

 

[tek-monkey]

Which shops would you want open on a Sunday, out of interest? Maybe my problem is I think town is a bit **** anyway, so if I wanted something I invariably get it online. Stafford isn't for proper shopping, its for food plus odds and sods. Apart from a laptop in Tesco I haven't made a high street purchase over £50 in years, probably getting towards a decade!

 

[Gramaisc]

Apart from the wonder of Wilkinson's, I'm not too bothered about shops in the town. I do mooch round the charity shops now and then, but hardly anywhere else. Sad, really...