Boxing Day shopping? Get a life

At the risk of sounding rather old fashioned and a bit behind the times, I can’t help but feel that there is something very wrong about the shops opening on Boxing Day, writes blogger Charlie Cashdan.

I worked for many years in a large Midlands department store and when I started there opening Boxing Day was simply out of the question.

Over the years the working hours steadily grew with the introduction of late nights, event days open till 10pm, increased Sunday trade and competitor stores opening until ten every night in December and one store even until midnight.

I guess it was inevitable that Boxing Day would bite the dust in the end. But when the fateful year came it caused such an uproar that the general store manager came down onto the shop floor before we opened one morning in late November and stood there with his microphone, the whole store gathered at his feet like the disciples of Jesus at the sermon on the mount, and apologised profusely that he had been forced to agree to open Boxing Day because other stores were doing so and it would be detrimental to business if we remained closed.

He made a great point of explaining that he would work that day himself leaving behind his wife and child and that Boxing Day was voluntary so no one would be forced to work but please would they consider doing so for the good of the store.

Of course, if we were on his sort of money and turning up for work each morning in a beautiful silver company Mercedes we probably wouldn’t have minded working especially if we too were allowed to park on the store loading bay rather than brave limited public transport and inner city parking on a bank holiday.

The staff did protest and moan but eventually gave in.

The following year there was no such announcement, it was just expected that we would open and Boxing Day was treated as a normal trading day. The voluntary aspect went out the window too as all account managers were told that they had to work and all concessions had to be covered. The sale was brought forward to start on Boxing Day to entice shoppers and further justify the need to open.

Now it’s just an automatic thing that you have Christmas Day off and come back in on Boxing Day, no arguments, no protest, no point.

Why, why, why would anyone possibly want to go shopping on Boxing Day?

Be at home people; be snuggled in with your families where it’s safe and warm watching crap on the telly and eating another turkey lunch.

The sales last for weeks anyway with even further reductions towards the end and new sale stock brought out daily so you really don’t need to be there on the first day. The people serving you probably aren’t on triple time, maybe on double if they are lucky but most likely just having a day off in lieu.

They are not particularly well-paid people, not respected professionals with great workers rights and they would probably give anything to have the option to be at home with their families watching naff on the telly, eating turkey and cuddling up in the warmth of their own home.

Just buy your bargain sweater the following day, protest with your feet not just moan about the changing world then stride into town on Boxing Day gift vouchers in hand. And what about Christmas Day? I give it five years at the most . . .

Agree with Charlie? Post your comments below.