Path: utzoo!dciem!schuck
From: schuck@dciem.dciem.dnd.ca (Mary Margaret Schuck)
Newsgroups: ont.general
Subject: Re: Sunday Shopping (Con)
Message-ID: <2775@dciem.dciem.dnd.ca>
Date: 21 Dec 89 13:53:19 GMT
References: <1989Dec20.222459.21666@gpu.utcs.utoronto.ca> <65018@looking.on.ca>
Reply-To: schuck@dretor.dciem.dnd.ca (Mary Margaret Schuck)
Distribution: ont
Organization: D.C.I.E.M., Toronto, Canada
Lines: 57

In article <65018@looking.on.ca> brad@looking.on.ca (Brad Templeton) writes:
>Do all these arguments justify the immense cost of the forced sunday
>closing?  Yes, that cost is high.
 
>Many things in society must be built not to withstand average demand,
>but *peak* demand.   In particular, roads, transit, shipping systems,
>and especially store staff, floor space, cash registers and PARKING space.
 
>Look at the parking lot of a large suburban grocery story or mall.
>On weekdays it sits half empty.   When is it full?  On Saturday, and
>during the Christmas season.  When are all the cash registers in use?
>Saturday.  When are the aisles full of people?  Saturday.
 
>That whole parking lot, all that land, is there to handle that peak
>demand.   Allow Sunday for shopping, and that peak is almost halved.
>The two days in fact, become not a lot more than the evenings.
 
>Christmas is still Christmas, but it's not as bad, since we don't
>get the true peak of Saturdays in December quite as badly.
 
>6 days is enough to buy all the food you need, that's true.  But at
>the very least it requires 7/6 more traffic, parking, staff, floor
>space etc.  And since the day added is as good as the peak day, it
>actually requires, I would guess, something like 25% or more in greater
>capacity.
 
 
I left in most of Brad's article, because he makes a very valid point
(although I don't think it was the one he intended.)  Sunday shopping will
not do the retailers any good at all.  The best estimates indicate that for
most retailers, opening on Sundays will not increase their gross revenues
by more than 4-5%.  Add to that the increased overhead of paying staff for
the extra day etc and retailers will end up having to increase prices.  
Once other retailers open on Sundays the rest will be forced to to remain
competetive, but this isn't some new and extra market they'll be tapping,
it will just be people who used to shop on Saturdays but don't anymore.

On the religious note, if a store feels that it's religious persecution to
remain open on Saturdays and closed on Sundays, it's perfectly free to
close on Saturdays and open on Sundays.  Remember? (Of course, that's
forcing people to choose between Judaism and Christianity!  Oh, dear!)

I agree that it would be nice to be able to shop 7 days/week, but we'd lose
too much in the process.  So a retailer isn't allowed to force employees to
work Sundays; that gives small retailers the choice between folding because
they can't compete, breaking the law and forcing their employees to work
Sundays, or just hiring new employees that will work then and fire the
others.  Some choice. Think how you'd feel if your (small) employer
announced that it would fold if you couldn't work Sundays.  That would be a
different matter, wouldn't it?

	Mary Margaret.
-- 
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