Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Asda to open on Boxing Day

Breaking with tradition, several of the main supermarkets, including Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Asda, have confirmed they will be opening many of their larger stores on Boxing Day this year.

Tesco is planning to open 179 of its ‘Extra’ stores. This compares with only opening 50 in 2007.

Sainsbury’s didn’t open any of its larger supermarkets last year but will be opening more than 30 of them this year.

Asda is opening anumber of its regular and ‘Living’ stores.

The message from the supermarkets is they are reacting to demand. Perhaps though it is their greed to fill the tills that is overriding matters?

I do wonder if it is really necessary. There are so few occasions in a year when most families have the opportunity to be together without one or other having to work. It seems sad to reduce the number of these precious days even further.

Obviously there have always been some people who have had to work on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and Easter Day. People involved with the emergency services, hospitals, elderly care homes for example. They do a sterling job and we are very thankful for what they do. To now extend this and open supermarkets on Boxing Day seems, in my opinion, to be an unnecessary step too far.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *