Toy shop chain, The Entertainer, is the latest to announce plans to give its staff an extended break over the festive period. The company’s 171 stores across the UK will shut at closing time on Christmas Eve (24 Dec) for three days. The toy retailer’s founder, Gary Grant, said the break will give employees “more opportunity to rest together with their families and loved ones for some quality time.” No Boxing Day deals The Entertainer will reopen on Monday 28 December, meaning the stores won’t be open on Boxing Day. Grant said, “Restrictions placed upon people over the last nine months have been incredibly testing and we’ve dearly missed being able to see loved ones in the ways we would normally take for granted.” The high street retailer joins a list of shops announcing a break for their staff for Christmas. Late in November, Marks & Spencer announced it was to close all stores on Boxing Day to give staff a rest. M&S boss, Steve Rowe, said it was a big decision, “but it was absolutely the right one given the incredible effort everyone has made in the most challenging of circumstances.” The news came shortly after Home Bargains and DIY chain, Wickes, also announced closures on Boxing Day. Shopworkers’ union Usdaw has written to retail bosses, urging them to keep their stores closed on Boxing Day, and give workers the longest possible break over the festive period.
