## Step 2 - Reading

Shopping in the UK

You are going to read a text about shopping in the UK.

- Read the text.
- While reading, think about the following question: How does shopping in the UK differ from shopping in the Netherlands? Make sure you can expain your answer.

A nation of shoppers Introduction Not only are we, in the words of Napoleon, 'a nation of shopkeepers', we are also a country of compulsive shoppers. We love to shop! It is our number one leisure activity and accounts for around 37% of all money spent in England. The main shopping street in many towns is called the High Street, where you should head for if you want to go shopping. A few small shops are owned by local people. Most are owned by national chains of stores. This makes many town centres look the same. Some towns also have street markets where fresh food and cheap goods can be bought. Away from the town centre, small corner shops provide groceries to local customers. Peak shopping days are Saturdays and Sundays. Shops are generally open on Bank Holidays (see below). Bank Holidays are a great time to shop as there are many sales on, especially around Easter and Christmas. Shopping hours In England, most retail shops are generally open 6 or 7 days a week. Typical opening times are: Mondays-Saturdays: 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Some shopping centres stay open until 8 p.m. or later. Sundays: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (or 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.) Sunday shopping has become popular in recent years and most large shops in towns are open for business. Shops are only allowed to trade for 6 hours on Sundays. Large supermarkets are open for 24 hours except on Sundays. Many supermarkets and superstores otherwise open from 8 a.m. until 10 p.m. from Mondays to Saturdays and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (or 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.) on Sundays. Public Holidays / Bank Holidays On public holidays some shops open and some shops do not. As a general rule banks will be closed, most supermarkets and large stores will be open (although with reduced Sunday opening hours), and in larger towns many shops will open. Bank Holiday shop opening times are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (or 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.). Over the Christmas and New Year period, all shops are closed on Christmas Day (December 25) and a some shops are closed on New Year's Day (January 1). However, an increasing number of shops are now opening on Boxing Day (December 26), which is when many start their New Year sales. Shopping centres will be closed on Easter Sunday and there will be reduced shopping hours on Easter Monday (often from either 10 or 11 a.m.). In villages Some rural shops still follow the tradition of an early closing day (usually a Wednesday) when the shops close at 1.00 p.m.

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