Shopping in Britain
Napoleon
once said that we, British, are a nation of shopkeepers, but 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 centers
look the same. Some towns also have street markets where fresh food and cheap
goods can be bought. Away from the town center, small 'corner' shops provide
groceries to local customers.
In
England, most retail shops are generally open 6 or 7 days a week. They are open
from 9 am to 5.30 pm. Some shopping centers stay open until 8 pm or later.
Sunday
shopping has become popular in recent years and most large shops in towns are
open for business. Some large town supermarkets now open 24 hours.
Bank
holidays are a great time to shop as there are many sales on especially around
Easter and Christmas.
In
villages, some shops still follow the tradition of an early closing day
(usually a Wednesday) when the shops close at 1.00 pm.Read
the text and decide whether these sentences are true, false or information not
given.