Sunday shopping in Germany

@sos

well now that's why the bars have to be open on a sunday, in case you don't get time to get hammered during the week

@sos

Let it go.

Is `SOS`a word (or an acronym)? If it is a word then is the only word that is the same word upside down as rightside up?

Woah - I, like, so missed this little troll here named SOS. Darn. Are all the punches over with? What a fool.

Save our Sundays, apparantly. Check out their website. Enough to convince me right there.

neither, its an abbreviation

for? Save our soul? I heard it wasn't that?

That's because people like me hired them. With an unemployment rate close to 10% here, sacking them would certainly not improve that.


Ah, so there are people who want to work...so let them. How does it affect YOU?

If you don't want to go to the bar on Sunday, then don't. Don't stop others from living their lives differently.


No...I'm not suggesting that we reduce to a state of anarchy. In fact a lot of places have Sunday trading and believe it or not, are not in a state of anarchy.

This has been covered - you have obviously never been to Munich. Nudity, like Sunday trading, does not cause society to fall apart


So I should travel to Australia every Sunday? If you have a family and you want to spend Sunday with them, then do that, but don't stop people who don't from working. If I had staff who didn't want to work on Sundays, then I wouldn't roster them on that day. I have staff who are unwilling to work on some days for a number of reasons, but now that I think about it, not one of them has a problem with working Sundays.

No. But neither will you die if shops are open on Sundays

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Like your driving on the wrong side of the road, not paying taxes comment made me laugh. Why shouldn't TV be off by your argument? It's not like it's essential, and it stops people spending 'quality' time with their families. Should professional sports also be banned on Sundays? It's also hardly an essential service. Try introducing that one...

No. Everyone needs time off during the week. It's customary that Saturday and Sunday are the days most people have off. In the leisure industry, we have to be open when people have time off work. We wouldn't make too much money if we were only open during Government working hours. You fail to see that different industries require different working hours. If a barman gets Tuesdays and Thursdays off (in fact none work more than 4 times a week) then they get their days of rest, just as you do. Fact is in the bar industry, the staff are normally young people who don't have family commitments and they are far more flexible as to when they can and want to work. Just because you are in a different situation, it's unfair of you to force that belief onto everyone else.


If you don't want to be in an industry where you work on Sundays, then there are plenty of jobs available where you don't have to. Whether you like it or not, the world is moving towards Sunday trading. If you're in the retail industry, then I suggest you get yourself another job. pollution?? Now you're really clutching at straws. There are far better ways of reducing pollution levels...So then you have the lights on at home instead...Or your valuable TV...and you use your fuel for getting out of a very boring Sunday in the city

God this just seems to be going on and on! So, lets make it go longer!

But I paid for my university by working sundays!!! I didn't have the option of working mon- friday, because I was in class from 8am til 6pm! I would have not had the chance to work during the week, so sundays it was, and I am greatful, as I was able to study, and now have a good job in another country.

My family doesn't live here! So, seeing them on sundays is no big deal... and I do work in a dental offfice, although we officially are not open saturdays and sundays, often the office is open for emergenices- we are on call 24 hours a day! I also have seen alot of patients on saturdays! Again, because the demand is there. So, we need to treat our patients when they want to be treated!

I am going to Manitoba on July 6th, and am looking forward to shopping on the two sundays I have there before I fly back... and guess what? I will most likely be shopping with my family! Does that count as 'Family Time'?

Oh, and I love to run around naked! Believe me!

No! Keep those damn housewives at home where they belong!

Women should be home shopping and cooking during the week so that our men can come home on the weekends and relax and spend time with us and not have to help deal with "family issues" by shopping or cleaning.

SOS - do you have a brother for me?

That's my problem I need a wife!!!

I think just about everything has been said about why shops opening on Sunday's is not going to be the end of the world for anyone.. let alone everyone.

But aargh.. this thread reminds me how much I hate busybodies who run around trying to organise peoples lives by enforcing stupid bans.
Sure, there's certain rules societies need.. but forgodsake - draw the line. This is a matter of choice - shops can open or they can shut...families are not going to be suddenly torn apart and sent into some kind of Sunday slavery. Get real. Don't ban choice, on any day of the week.

@sos.
Take a day off. Seriously, go relax in a park or something.
On a Tuesday perhaps, just to mix it up a little.
You'll find there's not so many people there enjoying it with you because everyone has to go on the weekends due to their enforced mon-fri work week. Cheers.

SOS - come to the German countryside where stores are often closed on Wednesday afternoons. Jus because. You vil luv it here. Ve find it wery condusif to zee vay of life vee haf been lookin vor.

tough luck then, go for a walk and spend some time with your'e family on Sunday. No wonder society is in the mess that it's in. Drink and spend no time with the family.

Is that right? We must have did something right Nova Scotia said No to Sunday shopping. I'm afraid to get ones point across and to hear our side a web site was started. Sorry it bothers those who are addicted to stores.

If all that you say is true retail workers would be crying for stores to be open on Sunday. I THINK NOT...it is those people who do not work on Sundays who are pushing for it. How does this effect me? Retail workers are my borther and sisters all over the world. they should not be forced to work on Sunday where as you people have six other days to shop and in most cases six nights a week. A line needs to be drawn and Sunday is one of these things.
Just because other people have Sunday trading it does not mean that Germany has to be a monkey see monkey do society. On the nudity part do you all go shopping in the nude or go to the stores in the nude?? I look forward to that answer.. As I pointed out earlier No one in retail wants to work on Sunday ...or we would not be having this discussion. I'm sure if your'e staff were given a choice they would prefer to be home.

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Why would that make you laugh it is the truth anything can be twisted around with this freedom argument. But when your'e freedom infringes on mine and other retail workers we have a problem. I bet i can do with out the TV alot faster than what you can or gov workers, dentist office workers etc that are off on Sat and Sunday. pity help those poor retail workers that want to be home on Sunday. Naughty retail workers we are supposed to becon your'e call 24/7. DON"T think so. You are right sports on Sunday is not a essential service... can you do with out sports on Sunday... NO wait you want to be in stores 24/7... How can that ever be you are on these forums.. ok you have no time what so ever to shop. Will have to add another day to the calender for those that have no time to shop.


Everyone does need time off and how dare you and others suggest that retail stores be open and when traditionally they are closed on Sunday. Look at your'e argument and you will see where we are coming from. The bar has different hours than what we do, so why should we open on Sunday because he is? I like to see a family day for everyone. Everyone closes. Thats the way it should be. When government workers,dentist offices are closed and enjoying the week-end SAT and Sunday retail workers are expected to wait on them. What the retail workers should do in germany if stores open then fight to open everything and do not stop until this happens. Problem with most people it does not concern me... I will not have to work so why should I care? But what goes around comes around and it will. People that are given the right to shop will want other services on Sunday like the dentist office, government offices, banks... heck they may want schools open as parents then will have to work so they would not mind sending them to school.
Just a note i buy my gas on Sat and do not buy gas on Sunday. I do not go to a corner store on Sunday . It's called time management i can buy my groceries Monday to Sat. Pollution clutching at straws ... NO WAY. If stores are open they will be more cars on the road... causing more pollution. If we want to support the kotyo accord we need to cut down things like driving... and closing stores one day a week would help.

You could have made money through the week. You may not be able to see your'e family on Sunday but others can and have to do with out all over the world because the excuses being used by you people . Gee why are you all not complaining to have everything open like those services only offered 5 days a week? Like your'e dentist office which is more essential to be open on Sunday than having a retail stores opened? Why should it be a emergency for a dentist office to be open? But yet retail stores should have to open . Surely you need a better reason that that? And this no time thing well well .. I bet you guys post on here every day. If you want to run around in the nude why not? You should have the freedom to right? Like to see that one.

I think that should be a choice whether women want to stay at home or not through the week. But it is nice to have week-ends together... we only get Sunday. Heck we should feel some gulity. You want my brother... but you will have to come to Nova Scotia and we do not have Sunday shopping... you could not handle that could u?

Laws are made for a reason.. like littering...wearing a seat belt. Retail workers need a day of rest. Thats what we have laws for to protect people. I say a line needs to be drawn . Stores are open six days a week and if you can not get your'e shopping done there is something seriously wrong with you. Please oh please take that same advice you gave me and go for a walk on a Sunday enjoy the scenery. Spend it with your'e kids. I pity you poor mon to fri people you should take Monday and Tuesday off then you would have time to shop the rest of the week. Work sat and Sunday. You people give up your'e normal days of rest.

Glad to hear the stores are closed on wed aft.. and you all are living. aren't you? Guess you will survive with out Sunday shopping.

What the hell are you doing SOS? Stop quoting everyone's entire message. Don't be so lazy - either put them all together in one or at least snip them down to the relevant quote.

And actually, while I'm at it and in a bad mood with a hangover, get off the bloody board, you have nothing to do with Munich.

Haven't read the whole thread, but I know for example that in the UK, nobody can be forced to work Sundays by law. Yet still, people do. When I worked in retail in the UK, we used to have to take turns on Sundays, because everybody wanted to work then because you got paid time and a half for doing less (because there were less customers)...

SOS. For fucks sake, GIVE UP! You've made your point (many times). Leave it at that. I made mine, way back on page 1. If you go back and have a look, you'll see that I actually agree with you on the issue. But everyone's entitled to their own opinions. You have yours and others have theirs. So stop preaching, save that for your congregration tomorrow morning.

And before you do write any more, have a browse through this.

Now go away!

STB:

HAHAHA! I wasn't sure if you were a simpering twit whose intelligence was on par with that of a small teacup or if you were just a troll. The Amazon link confirms the latter.

Errors in your last post include:
* Missing apostrophe
* Excessive and inappropriate use of commas (too many even for German)
* Inappropriate parenthetical usage
* Using a plural pronoun with a singular noun
* Using a singular verb for a plural indirect object
* Beginning a paragraph with a conjunction
* Comma splice

...and so much more.

Thanks for the laugh. This thread needed it.

woof.

Oooh, big words! But the commas are correct...

@sos

So you basically believe that people working in all non-essential service industries shouldn't work on Sundays.

If you have ever done any of the following on a Sunday, then you are a hypocrite for partaking in non-essential activities on a Sunday which forces people to work:

Gone to the movies, watched TV, listened to the radio, taken a bus, tram, ferry or train, flown, taken a cab, gone to the zoo, gone to a theme park, visited a swimming pool, gone to the ice-skating rink, gone to church, sent your kids to Sunday school, visited a beach with a lifeguard, gone to a museum, eaten at a restaurant or ordered home delivery, gone to a bar, stayed in a hotel or a hostel (either Sat-Sun or Sun-Mon), watched professional sports, called a helpline, logged into a news website or read Monday's newspaper (which are printed on Sunday night), gone to the theatre, gone to a concert, camped in or even visited a national park (rangers have to be on duty for visitors), played golf or gone bowling. Obviously there are more things, but I can't be bothered thinking of any more. If you have ever driven your car on a Sunday, you are contributing to the fact that more police have to be on duty controlling the traffic. Basically just about anything you do that requires you leaving the house (and a lot that doesn't), forces people to work on Sundays. Just about all of it is not essential.

Are you gonna die if you sit at home all day to make sure nobody has to work? No. But I feel sorry for your kids who you can never take anywhere interesting or fun on a Sunday for fear of making somebody work. I'm sure all those people who rely on Sunday work would be ever so grateful to you for taking away their means of income and forcing them instead, to spend a day at home.

EVERY other service industry in the private sector recognises the need to work on Sundays. It is the most profitable time to be open - when most other people are not working. This is the weekend. Somehow the retail industry are most resistant. Why are they special? If you don't want to offer good service to customers, then don't be in the customer service industry. Being closed at precisely the time when people are best able to make use of your product is BAD SERVICE.

First if stores are open on Sundays they will be less crowded all week which is better for everyone.
If shops employed a few Sunday workers it might help the 12 per cent unemployed.
Why do the Germans in particular need the state to tell them to have a family day? Are people incapable of organising their own lives to spend time with their families? The number of hours per week is important, but whether it is several evenings, a couple of afternoons or a Sunday is irrelevant. In any case those with kids can still have Sunday free - I would expect to see students, people whose partners also work Sundays, like the wife of a policeman, etc. in the shops on Sundays.
Might also do something for alcoholism - give people who hang out in bars and don't fancy sport something else to do.
Give freelancers like me who are expected to be willing to work all days and all hours to meet deadlines for translations, correcting text etc., or, believe it or not, even give private lessons to students with upcoming exams, interviews etc. a chance to go shopping.
Rushing into the shops for an hour or so after work is ok for necessities, but what about browsing for larger items? You need a half-day at least for that.
I do as much of my shopping in the UK as possible anyway, cos shops are closed here when I have time.
Just thought I would have my say.

No reply for over a week from sos. A bit disappointing - would have liked to have seen his response.

Understandable though, because his position hardly stands up to even the most basic scrutiny.

Having a special day where few people works is good for the society. That allow the people to get together without too much assle. Political meeting, fair, family reunion, ...
The distribution is only one of the industry that profit from it.

Without it, it may be difficult for families to have their free time together. It would not be always possible to gety the free day at the same time. nowadays, week-end free for you, your partner, your children, your friends. without this division of the week, it would be much more complex.

I didn't make a thesis about it but I doubt that the little shops would profit more from a Sunday opening that large stores. If you have lot of personel, you can adapt the number according the number of clients. if you are 1 or 2 in a shop, you don't have much flexibility. The US is not known for its small shops but for its extensive opening hours.

The entertainment industry is different, you have to expect to work when the others don't.

If you like the life in Munich, you should not wish that everything is all like home, enjoy the difference.

And Germany is? Name me one Tante-Emma-Laden in Munich. Ireland and GB on the other hand are full of them and they have no opening hour rules.

Here is an example that summarises the situation for me: Spitzingsee Ski Resort 17:00 on a Sunday in winter. The ski slopes are emptying out and people are heading to the Stubn. We, a group of 20 or so, make for one of the smaller ones. Inside about 5 of us manage to order something before the owner announces that he is closing up for the night. The f*@king place was full, I was speechless.

This, of course, is true.


There is not much difference in service or entertainment industries for this argument. Service and entertainment industries both have their most profitable times when other people are not working. Sunday is obviously included in that. So leisure and entertainment industries and service industries are most busy when the rest of the working population is not. Name me one other service industry (in the private sector) which is required to shut on Sundays...

Retail is a service industry - why they think they are somehow 'special' and should work under a completely different set of rules to all other service industries is beyond my comprehension.

If anyone can tell me why retail personnel should have every´Sunday off, but hotel staff, train drivers, etc shouldn't, then please explain it to me.

I'm sure if most of the 'keep Sundays closed' mob couldn't take public transport or ski the slopes, or stay in a hotel on a weekend away, then they'd whine about it...and that is nothing more than hypocrisy


Oh - the eternal response to any discussion. I don't think that Munich will turn into Canberra with Sunday trading...

>> If anyone can tell me why retail personnel should have every´Sunday off, but hotel staff, train drivers, etc shouldn't, then please explain it to me.

Because double-standards rule. Duh.

Wow this thread is still alive?

@SOS,

What is your issue again? is it with sunday shopping or is it with the retailers themselves?

c'mon tell us what happened? got caught shoplifting on sunday?

Sorry...that was me.

I claimed victory in the discussion with sos. His arguments were poor and he was unable to back up his poor logic.

He hasn't been seen here since...

finance? although I'm not sure I understood the question correctly and am not particularly for or against sunday opening

What like banks?

Are they required to be shut? or do they do it voluntarily? They aren't even open on Saturdays and I'm sure they would be allowed to if they wanted...

as I said (edited) I'm not sure I understood the question correctly or not. In germany do you mean and required by law? Then I guess the banks are most likely required to be shut aren't they

Obviously in Germany...

Like I said, I don't know. I'm sure they wouldn't change their opening hours even if they could though. Lucky for them, cash machines are open around the clock, so people can access their money at any time and the basic 'service' people expect of them is still there when people need to access it...

At least in the U.S., I believe most banks are open and doing business 24/7, 7 days a week. Only the retailing/customer service side of the bank has 9-5 M-F hours. I'd be surprised if it were different in Germany.

The 'service' industry covers a lot by the way but I guess by service you mean direct servicing of customers (face to face)

depends on your definition of 'open'

Well, with the one bank I was involved with, "open" meant doing the majority of your business during moonlit hours, and retailing to average joe-blows from 9 to 5. I was under the impression that's how most banks operated.

Hazza rules.

Yeah man. If you look at alot of "office" jobs (particularly IT and support), its likely you will have to work the occasional sunday, saturday, bank holiday or what have you.

I do NOT buy all the "sunday for family" crap either. If I wanna go out with my son and buy him a decent cricket bat and some whites, I wanna do that on sunday thanks-why? well, I'm at work all week, and on saturday mornings some schools are open over here ,saturday afternoon is football, cannot go out then, so it leaves sunday to do it.

There are absolutely no reasons atall for not allowing sunday opening, its simply a ridiculous hangover from religious influence.

In the US,
I have no idea about the US, but I cannot honestly believe that the bank computer systems are not churning out shitty template letters and charging you a tenner for the pleasure. Why keep branches open? Leaks money having staff behind a counter when a computer can do all the work.

btw, I went to that sos website a week ago and left a message in the guestbook, basically stating the same here

I got a message saying that it would be checked by a moderator before being added.

It's not there yet (but then neither is anything past October so maybe the moderator died or something), but I'm willing to bet that my opinion won't be added...

People like that piss me off. They come to our forum and tell us how we should be living our lives - even though they don't live here or have anything to do with Munich, or anything clever to say. Go to their site and they block any dissenting opinions.

Fuckers...

@sos..wow...your scaling the popularity pole here.

Im an artist..I like to work on Sunday but then again Sunday is like a Monday , Tuesday whatever. And I like my local bar or pub to be open when I want it to. I often go into Munich on Sundays and I really enjoy visiting my local expat pubs...So to all the Munich expat pubs... I thank thee...

Thought I would pop in here with my 2 cents...
Last summer when my brother was here visiting, we were at a biergarten and the guy pulling the beer had the biggest attitude. My first reaction was: "well, he probably has been doing this all day" (oh maybe it was sunday too? lol) to which my brother so astutely pointed out that "it wasnt like he was drafted to the job".

No one even in the US is forced to work on Sundays- no one is forced to work at any particular place for that matter. Last time I checked, people normally applied for their positions, as opposed to being dragged out of bed in the middle of the night and placed in a job! I agree that the law ought to be changed- but simply because I believe as a shopowner you ought to run your business- not the government. As much as I enjoy the smoking ban in restauants in California- I am opposed to the law. It should be an owner's decision- after all, it his/her investment on the line... I hate this "government knows best" crap...

What I really want to know is why automated car washes like at the Aral stations arent open on Sundays?? Or why you cant wash your car or any number of other activities that affect no one else, besides busybody "alte Fraus" on the block??

I think you're missing the point about people being 'forced' to work kitty

I agree about the car wash places.

You can't wash cars on the street for environmental reasons I think - which I suppose is fair enough although I would like to be able to do that too

Regarding the "forced work" issue- I was just addressing the point that some had tried to make that somehow having Sundays open retail workers wouldn't have time for their families...

In fact, I would care a lot less if stores stayed closed on Sundays because the shops just didnt want to open, as opposed to a law forbidding it. (although it would still be annoying)

There are just a lot of odd things that aren't allowed on Sundays which seem to defy (my) logic. Having Sundays closed puts so much pressure on Saturdays as one has to do all of the shopping, mow the lawn, wash the car, vacuum the house- dont even think about trying to add into the mix the odd thing like a trip to Ikea, shopping for a new car, etc.

how about a category "I am a jew and believe that being forced to shop on my sabbath because I can't buy food on sunday violates my civil rights"

perhaps one could sue citing violation of the human rights act??

It seems everybody is worried about everyone else, being considerate. How I wish it was like that here. I long for those days. Someone saying excuse me or may help you with that, or even not walking into you because you are in their direct path. Nobody here is considerate to anyone else, so lets just toss that argument out the window.

We are worried about somebody here. That makes me laugh.