And on the seventh day, man created the mall: retailers fight to open on holidays
Apparently there isn’t enough time to shop these days. The Star reports that the question of whether or not to allow stores to open on holidays, such as Christmas and New Year’s Day, is up for debate next week before city council makes a decision next month. Malls like Yorkdale and Sherway Gardens are among the retailers hoping to stay open during the long weekends (currently, only the Eaton Centre, Yonge Street strip, Yorkville, Harbourfront and the Distillery District have permission to do so).
There’s no word yet on whether a change in the rules would mean all stores and malls across the city must open during the holidays. We can say with confidence, however, that there will be more fights between employees and bosses about taking vacation days. And we can probably expect bad service when shopping on Christmas Day when the woman behind the counter is thinking about the turkey dinner she’s missing.
Commenters on the Star’s site are generally against the idea, saying that retail employees should get a break just like everyone else. But to play devil’s advocate, employees get more days that pay time-and-a-half (we assume), and families that really don’t get along can shop silently at the mall rather than sit through an awkward Thanksgiving dinner. Malls: replacing family time in Canada since 1949.
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