Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!utcsri!utegc!utai!ubc-vision!watmath!watnot!watdcsu!kishore2 From: kishore2@watdcsu.UUCP Newsgroups: ont.general,can.general Subject: Re: Sunday openings Message-ID: <2825@watdcsu.UUCP> Date: Thu, 4-Dec-86 10:56:51 EST Article-I.D.: watdcsu.2825 Posted: Thu Dec 4 10:56:51 1986 Date-Received: Thu, 4-Dec-86 17:33:24 EST References: <2819@watdcsu.UUCP> <709@watmum.UUCP> <2822@watdcsu.UUCP> Reply-To: kishore2@watdcsu.UUCP (Sherman Lang - Systems Design) Distribution: can Organization: U of Waterloo, Ontario Lines: 74 In article <2822@watdcsu.UUCP> brewster@watdcsu.UUCP (Dave Brewer / Sys Des Eng / PAMI / U of Waterloo) writes: > >>> I have no particular interest in keeping stores closed on Sunday >>> because it is the day or rest, long term analysis just indicates >>> that there are no advantages to staying open. > > ... > ....... I clearly stated that in the short run there > is an incentive to stay open, and any rational merchant would > choose to do this, if the criteria for operation is profit > maximization. In the long run, there are several reasons why > Sunday openings are undesirable, but these reasons are not > entirely related to profit, i.e. any single merchant who > doesn't open in the long run loses money; if all merchants > don't open in the long run they all make money. Given your > free society would you prefer the government limit Sunday > openings or all the merchants get together (can you spell > monopoly) and decide to profit maximize by not opening > Sunday, or better yet, really profit maximize by opening only > a few predetermined hours every week. > > Therefore, it is perfectly within the realm of responsible > government to limit Sunday openings given that there exists this > compelling reason. I agree in general with your comments about > free society, etc, etc, I just disagree about the existence of > the overwhelming compelling reason. > > Justification of posting based on briefly skimmed articles like > you did really scares me. It can be used to justify responding > to just about any posting. > > Try not to become a man >UUCP : {decvax|ihnp4}!watmath!watdcsu!brewster of success but rather try >Else : Dave Brewer, (519) 886-6657 try to become a man of > value. Albert Einstein I also happen to think that the choice to open on Sundays should be left up to the merchant, or businessman. There is already too much government interference in business today. That however is an aside. What I would really like to discuss is the question of profitability for merchants who open Sundays.It is not clear to me that Sunday openings are unprofitable. A couple of examples. First, look at Chinatown in Toronto on a Sunday. You would think that the entire ethnic Chinese population is there on a Sunday! Well, you say that's an exception, it's a designated tourist area. But whenever I have been there, the number of tourists has been very small in relation to people from TO. Another example. In many cities in BC, everything (almost) is open Sundaysnow. The effect has been to increase competition, resulting in what I felt was increased service to the customers. One only has to walk into Jimmy P's supermarkets to feel this. Longer hours and more days open do stimulate the economy with more spending, impulse shopping is _not_ dead ( at least not for me :-) They are open Sundays in BC for about 2 years now I think ( someone currently living in BC now might want to supply the exact figure) and it doesn'tlook like there's any sign of it ending. Now, let's go to the other side of theworld, Hong Kong. Free enterprise reigns king in Hong Kong. _EVERY_ merchant and most businesses, factories, ect. are open on everyday. The merchant's busiest day is Sunday. And if its not profitable, they don't do it in HK! Many merchants rent the space they do business in. The rent and taxes has to be paid regardless of whether they are open that day. What a waste of resourcesto be closed Sundays! The rent in the large malls is not _cheap_ ! With more families where both partners are working, Sunday is a convenient time to do shopping. Friday nights and Saturdays are so crowded in some places that it's difficult to spend money because of all the time you spend lining up to pay! I say let the merchants and the consumer decide, if it is convenient the consumer will buy, if it's profitable, the merchant will be open. -- ============================================================================= | Sherman Lang | | | Systems Design Engineering | "A screaming comes across the sky..." | | University of Waterloo | | =============================================================================