Arena Magazine 2005 Issue 6 November December

Consumers reject more Sunday shopping

Nearly two-thirds of Britain's shoppers have firmly rejected any extension of Sunday shopping hours for large stores, an independent survey has revealed.

The survey, carried out for Usdaw by the highly respected National Opinion Poll (NOP), found that 62 per cent of shoppers did not want an extension of the six hours large stores are allowed to open on a Sunday.

"This survey proves that shoppers are perfectly happy with the present arrangements," said general secretary John Hannett. "We commissioned this survey because we wanted to see whether shoppers have any real appetite for more Sunday trading - clearly they do not.

"This level of support proves that shoppers are more than happy with the 150 hours a week in which they can spend their hard earned cash.

The survey also found that 63 per cent of consumers thought that Sunday should remain different to every other day and three quarters thought that if large shops were allowed to open all day on a Sunday it would make it like any other day.

"Many of Britain's 2.7 million retail workers already work long hours and like nearly everyone else they want to spend at least some of their Sunday with their families so they can achieve a decent work/life balance.

"The reality is that if Sundays are deregulated then it will be treated as just another day. We are seriously concerned that the extra premium payments our members get for working unsocial hours on a Sunday will disappear."

The survey results will now be submitted to trade and industry secretary Alan Johnson as evidence for his department's review on deregulating Sunday trading hours.

"We knew we had a good case to keep the present six hour limit but we wanted to show the minister the cold hard facts that the British public back us too," said John Hannett. "Usdaw believes in facts not emotion. We want the minister to know that there is no popular support for extra shopping hours on Sundays. Shoppers don't want it because they want Sunday to remain different to every other day of the week. Shopworkers don't want it and we're not sure the majority of retailers want it."

And the workforce agree!

Members have shown an overwhelming opposition to more Sunday trading hours judging by early indications from Usdaw's on-line survey.

Here are some of the comments we have received:

I am totally against Sunday opening for large stores. It is sheer greed for the superstores, only the small stores should be allowed to open.

Large stores have killed off many small stores and in some places older people do not have the option of shopping locally. There's no need for more shopping hours.

Colin (via e-mail)

The existing rules are more than sufficient, even very busy people can still fit their shopping in.

Longer hours will have a detrimental impact on family life as the weekend is the only chance many families get to be together.

Another issue is the increasing expectation and pressure, which is applied more than ever by retailers, to force staff to work regularly. Weekend working becomes a regular event which is wrong and employers have no idea of their employees' responsibilities to their immediate families.

David Stone (via e-mail)

For more information on Sunday working and your legal rights, including the opt-out, you can order a copy of Usdaw's latest leaflet from your local Usdaw office or register your views online

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© 2003 (USDAW) Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers
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