## Step 5 - Speaking

Discussion about opening times
You have read an article about shopping in the UK. Now you are going to discuss about it. You might want to read the article again to prepare yourself for the discussion.

Are most shops open on weekends? 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 9am to 5:30pm Some shopping centres stay open until 8pm or later. Sunday - 10am to 4pm (or 11am to 5pm) 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 for Sundays. Many supermarkets and superstores otherwise open from 8am until 10pm from Mondays to Saturdays and 10am to 4pm (or 11am to 5pm) 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 10am to 4pm (or 11am to 5pm) 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. It is likely that most shopping centres will be closed on Easter Sunday and there will be reduced shopping hours on Easter Monday (often from either 10 or 11 o'clock in the morning).

Discuss the following questions in your group:

1. Is it a good idea that shops are open on Sundays?
2. Why? Why not?
3. What kind of shops should be open or should all shops be open? Why?
4. When do you think shops should be open? Why?
5. What are the advantages or disadvantages of opening times of shops?