It will be interesting to see how the incoming Sunday Trading will pan out, won’t it?

As consumers, those few extra hours in which we’ll be able to do our shopping could prove useful. But what will it do to the nation’s shopkeepers?

On one hand people are saying that the new laws may – and particularly with news that the longer hours’ opening may not be extended to out-of-town superstores - bring people out onto the High Street and allow those that work long hours during the week, as well as perhaps Saturdays, time to shop – bringing a boost to local outlets and dissuading customers from Internet shopping. On the other, people are saying it will undermine society, denying families that one day together which Sundays can provide – well – as they did before shops were allowed to open for six hours on a Sunday, anyway!

In my weekend estate agency job I work alternate Sundays. I love it. The office is quiet, clients are relaxed and I get all the leads! But try and get a full-timer to cover is difficult. People who enjoy Sundays at home don’t want to give them up. Also, with just six hours’ trading, it doesn’t take up the whole day and allows me to enjoy some leisure time too.

Would I be happy to work extended hours? No I wouldn’t.

One thing I’m seeing more of is that couples are unable to view properties together, because of the odd working hours of one or other of them. One might view on a Saturday and if they like what they see, their partner may visit late one evening. Sometimes the first time they view together, is when they arrive to measure up!

I believe extended Sunday openings is likely to exacerbate these problems, and that we’ll spend less time with our families and find it harder to set times and dates for get-togethers. I can see people becoming more isolated.

The changes may create some jobs but I feel people will be asked to work for longer, to cover the extended hours – and of course their own shopping timeslots will be diminished as a result. But will the changes raise the estimated £1.4bn for economy if they go ahead, or will they just enable shoppers to stagger their shopping times to suit their daily lives?

I’m just not sure. What do you think?

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Yours,

Jan Hobbs