No way, its incredibly sad. I would like to see boxing day sales banned altogether. Give the retail workers a well deserved extra day off.
Here, here.
I know you need nurses, fire brigade at work etc. And essential utilities workers- but shops don't need to open. They should be shut 2 days a year. Retail work hard and should be off the 2 days. I don't see the need for buses etc on boxing day either. They should be off.
I got to a shop early once; there were a few outside already. It was the day after boxing day 1989, there was ( I don't know if it's still there) a hifi shop called Seba electronics in West Ealing that were selling 1/2 price Technics hifi seperates in a sale. I think I got the about 1/2 past 7 in the morning- about 10 were in front of me. By the time the shop opened at 9 o'clock there was a hell of a crowd. As some buyers came out, some were let in. I got all my hifi there that morning and saved hundreds and hundreds of pounds. I think the list price was about £2,300 and I got it all for about £1050 all told. I'm still using it all. That was the one and only time I've ever queued for a sale.
The difference with the example you give to today's world is that you bought a high quality, high price item from a specialist retailer that had a genuinely good discount.
Not 5 quid off some mass produced clothing that will be in another sale in a few weeks time anyway
The nearest I've got was queueing to get tickets to watch Manchester United in a couple of different cup finals in the early 90s. They were on sale at Old Trafford, United's stadium. By the time I arrived each time, which was an hour or two before they went on sale the queue had already done one complete lap and a little more.
It's awful and by the looks of it, there is a lot of awful people doing it. Pushing and trampling over each other to save a few quid on items they didn't even know they wanted until they see them.
I remember queuing as a child with my cousin and her mum for the Next Sale, as a kid it was kinda bemusing watching people scramble over clothes and this was back in the 1990s it's a lot worse now!
As I was working on Xmas eve this year, when I got up at 7am I went onto Boots and ordered some Yankee Candles which were half price and a Si perfume set (which I need to send back as I got it as a gift!). I did plan on heading up to my local retail park for 8am to visit Asda living, Boots, Next and Matalan then head into town for Debenhams. As I was so tired last night I switched my alarm off and got up way past 10am. I headed up around midday and was severely disappointed. I'm not so bothered by clothes or electrical items but as me and my boyfriend have just moved in together I'd like afew little bits for the home and had an idea of what I wanted. I got there and it was busy and most stores obliterated of sale items, I got nothing and left within the hour!
I can remember the "Boxing day sales" generally being big furniture stores like DFS and the electrical stores like Currys. Places like Next Asda and Boots, never used to open till 27th, thus is definitely something I've seen change the past 10 years.
Only ever once - 35 years ago, I'd just bought my first horse, and being a penniless 20-something as a result, I queued outside Giddens in London (a very upmarket saddler) to get a Stubben saddle at half-price. If you've ever had anything to do with horses, you'll understand just what a big deal that was. That saddle was worth every penny it cost, and every bit of discomfort it took to get it. I was still using it till a couple of years ago, when I replaced it for my current horse, and I gave it away to a new owner.
I'd never get my sleeping bag out for any other shop's sale, though - I avoid those like the plague. There is absolutely nothing that I want so much that I'd do that for, and anyway, I think that much of the stuff in sales is stuff that nobody's wanted in the first place.
Comments
Here, here.
I know you need nurses, fire brigade at work etc. And essential utilities workers- but shops don't need to open. They should be shut 2 days a year. Retail work hard and should be off the 2 days. I don't see the need for buses etc on boxing day either. They should be off.
I've never queued for a sale or for concert tickets etc although I have been one of the people who has screamed at computer queues.
The difference with the example you give to today's world is that you bought a high quality, high price item from a specialist retailer that had a genuinely good discount.
Not 5 quid off some mass produced clothing that will be in another sale in a few weeks time anyway
The nearest I've got was queueing to get tickets to watch Manchester United in a couple of different cup finals in the early 90s. They were on sale at Old Trafford, United's stadium. By the time I arrived each time, which was an hour or two before they went on sale the queue had already done one complete lap and a little more.
Do they not know Sports Direct have a sale on for 52 weeks a year?
Well that was my thought too. Aren't they the DFS of the sports clothing world?
I'd say so! They seem to be either closing down, clearing out or having liquidation sales on a weekly basis!!
And I do like shopping
As I was working on Xmas eve this year, when I got up at 7am I went onto Boots and ordered some Yankee Candles which were half price and a Si perfume set (which I need to send back as I got it as a gift!). I did plan on heading up to my local retail park for 8am to visit Asda living, Boots, Next and Matalan then head into town for Debenhams. As I was so tired last night I switched my alarm off and got up way past 10am. I headed up around midday and was severely disappointed. I'm not so bothered by clothes or electrical items but as me and my boyfriend have just moved in together I'd like afew little bits for the home and had an idea of what I wanted. I got there and it was busy and most stores obliterated of sale items, I got nothing and left within the hour!
I can remember the "Boxing day sales" generally being big furniture stores like DFS and the electrical stores like Currys. Places like Next Asda and Boots, never used to open till 27th, thus is definitely something I've seen change the past 10 years.
I'd never get my sleeping bag out for any other shop's sale, though - I avoid those like the plague. There is absolutely nothing that I want so much that I'd do that for, and anyway, I think that much of the stuff in sales is stuff that nobody's wanted in the first place.