A History of the Ministry of Information, 1939-46

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51 52 53 54

THE SOCIAL SURVEY
SHOP HOURS INQUIRY
NEW SERIES 84

(i) Interviewer .........(ii) Town ......... Date .........

(iii) Region 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 (iv) Urban ......... Y Rural ......... X

(v) Occupation of Informant

Housewife Y
Agriculture X
Factory 0
Bldg. Transport, P.Utilities 1
Clerical 2
Distributive 3
Miscellaneous 4
Shopkeepers, shop managers 5
Professional, Managerial 6
Retired, Unoccupied 7
Miners 8
Clerical Distributive 9

(vi) Age of Informant

18 - 24 1
24 - 34 2
35 - 44 3
45 - 54 4
55 - 64 5
65 and over 6

(vii) Status

Married 7
Single 8
Widowed and Divorced 9

(viii) Sex

Male Y
Female X

(ix) Economic Group (C.W.E.)

Up to £3 1
Over £3 - £4 2
Over £4 - £5.10 3
Over £5.10 - £10 4
Over £10 5

(x) Occupation of C.W.E.

GENERAL SHOPPING

1. What time do you usually finish work on a weekdays?

4.45 p.m. or earlier 1
4.46 - 5.15 2
5.16 - 5.45 3
5.46 - 6.15 4
6.16 - 6.45 5
6.46 - 7.15 6
7.16 - 7.45 7
7.46 - 8.15 8
After 8.15 9
Not working 0
N.A. X

2. Do you do the household shopping, help with it, or do you do only your own personal shopping?

Mainly responsible for household shopping 1
Helps with household shopping 2
Only personal shopping 3
No shopping at all 4

To All Who do any Shopping

3. Did you know (until this moment) that there were Acts of Parliament affecting the closing hours for shops?

Yes ......... 5

No. ......... 6

4. (a)How often do you go to your Local/Main shopping centre? (b) How long does it take to go there? (c) What is the usual closing hour?

Does not apply (a) No. of visits (b) Travelling time from Home (c) Usual closing time
Everyday 2-3 per week Once a wk. Under 1 a wk. Does not use Up to 12 mins. 13 - 24 mins. 25 - 36 mins. 37 - 48 mins. 49 - 60 mins. 1-2 hours Over 2 mins. Can’t say Before 4.45 4.46 - 5.15 5.16 - 5.45 5.46 - 6.15 6.16 - 6.45 6.46 - 7.15 After 7.15 Don’t Know
Local shopping centre Y X 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Y X 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Main shopping centre Y X 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Y X 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Central shopping centre (Town with 200,000 or more) Y X 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Y X 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Additional shopping centre Y X 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Y X 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

5.(a) Do you use shops selling these type of goods? If YES . (b) How often do you go there?

(a) Using (b) No. of visits
Yes No. Everyday 2-3 per wk. Once a wk. Under 1.a wk.
(1) Food 1 2 3 4 5 6
(2) Clothing, drapery 1 2 3 4 5 6
(3) Furniture 1 2 3 4 5 6
(4) Ironmongery, tools, household appliances 1 2 3 4 5 6
(5) Books, stationery 1 2 3 4 5 6

To All who say “YES” in Q.5(a)

6.(a)What time do you usually call? (b) Are existing closing hours convenient?

(a) What time do you usually call? (b) Hours convenient
Before 10 a.m. 10.1-12 12.1-2 2.1-5 5.1-6 6.1-7 After 7 p.m. Varies Yes No. D.K.
(1) Food Y X 0 1 2 3 4 5 7 8 9
(2) Clothing, drapery Y X 0 1 2 3 4 5 7 8 9
(3) Furniture Y X 0 1 2 3 4 5 7 8 9
(4) Ironmongery, tools, Household appliances Y X 0 1 2 3 4 5 7 8 9
(5) Books, stationery Y X 0 1 2 3 4 5 7 8 9
Y X 0 1 2 3 4 5 7 8 9

7. Till what time would it suit you to be able to buy these goods?

Before 4.45 4.46-5.15 5.16-5.45 5.46-6.15 6.16-6.45 6.46-7.15 7.16-7.45 7.46-8.15 After 8.15 Any-time D.K.
(1) Food 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Y X
(2) Clothing, drapery 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Y X
(3) Furniture 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Y X
(4) Ironmongery, tools, Household appliances 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Y X
(5) Books, stationery 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Y X
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Y X

8. To all who have a phone .

(a) do you use the phone for ordering any of these goods?

To all who have not got a phone.

(b) Would you phone orders if you had a phone?

To all

(c) Would you use a delivery service for any of these goods if one were available?

To all

(d) Do you use a Mail Order Service?

(a) Do you phone orders (b) Would phone orders (c) Delivery service (d) Mail orders
Yes No. Yes No. D.K. Yes No. D.K. Already use one Yes No.
(1) Food Y X 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
(2) Clothing, drapery Y X 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
(3) Furniture Y X 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
(4) Ironmongery, tools household Appliances Y X 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
(5) Books, stationery Y X 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Y X 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

To all shoppers

9. Do you think all shops should shut at the same time in the evening on weekdays?

Yes ......... Y

No ......... X

Don’t know ......... 0

To all who say “Yes” in Q.5 (a)

10. On what special day(s) would you like shops selling these goods to remain open later in the evenings?

Mon. Tues. Wed. Thurs. Fri. Sat. D.K. Not at all
(1) Food 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
(2) Clothing, drapery 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
(3) Furniture 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
(4) Ironmongery, tools, household appliances 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
(5) Books, stationery 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

11. Till what later time would it suit you to be able to buy these goods on special evening(s) in the week?

Before 6.15 p.m. 6.16-6.45 6.46-7.15 7.16-7.45 7.46-8.15 8.16-8.45 8.46-9.15 After 9.15 D.K. D.N.A.
(1) Food Y X 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
(2) Clothing, drapery Y X 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
(3) Furniture Y X 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
(4) Ironmongery, tools, Household appliances Y X 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
(5) Books, stationery Y X 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Y X 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

12.(a) Which day would suit you best as a weekly half-holiday for shops?

(b) Which day(s) would be specially inconvenient for you as a weekly half-holiday?

(a) Convenient day (b) Inconvenient day(s)
Monday 1 1
Tuesday 2 2
Wednesday 3 3
Thursday 4 4
Friday 5 5
Saturday 6 6
No preferences 0 0
Don’t know Y Y

13. If shops are to remain open on Saturday afternoons, what closing hour would be convenient for you?

Before 4.45 4.46-5.15 5.16-5.45 5.46-6.15 6.16-6.45 6.46-7.15 7.16-7.45 7.46-8.15 After 8.15 Any-time D.K.
(1) Food 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Y X
(2) Clothing, drapery 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Y X
(3) Furniture 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Y X
(4) Ironmongery, tools, Household appliances 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Y X
(5) Books, stationery 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Y X
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Y X

EXEMPTIONS

To all shoppers

14. Would it suit you to be able to buy any of the following goods after the normal closing hours for ordinary shops?

Yes No D.K.
Sweets Y X 0
Tobacco 1 2 3
Mineral water 4 5 6
Newly cooked provisions (Fish and chips and tripe) 7 8 9
Newspapers Y X 0
Ice-cream 1 2 3
Medicines 4 5 6
7 8 9

15. Does it suit you to be able to buy sweets and/or tobacco at Public Houses or Off-Licences after ordinary shops have shut?

Sweets Y
Tobacco X
Both 0
Neither 1
Don’t know 2

16. Does it suit you to be able to buy sweets, tobacco or ice-cream in Cinemas or Theatres after ordinary shops have shut?

Sweets 4
Tobacco 5
Ice-cream 6
None 7
Don’t know 8

HOLIDAY SHOPPING

17. Would it suit you if shops in holiday resorts during the holiday season could remain open regularly after the usual weekday closing hours?

Yes ......... 1 No ......... 2 Doesn’t take a holiday ......... 3 D.K. ......... 4

If YES what closing hour would suit you?

Before 6.15 p.m. Y
6.16 - 6.45 X
6.46 - 7.15 0
7.16 - 7.45 1
7.46 - 8.15 2
8.16 - 8.45 3
8.46 - 9.15 4
9.16 - 9.45 5
After 9.45 6
Any time 7
D.K. 8
N.A. 9

18. Does it suit you if these shops close for a normal weekly half-holiday?

Yes ......... 5 No ......... 6 Doesn’t take a holiday ......... 7 D.K. ......... 8

XMAS SHOPPING

19. Would it inconvenience you if all shops shut at the normal closing hour during Xmas week?

Yes ......... 1 No ......... 2 D.K. ......... 8

If YES what closing hour would suit you?

Before 6.15 p.m. Y
6.16 - 6.45 X
6.46 - 7.15 0
7.16 - 7.45 1
7.46 - 8.15 2
8.16 - 8.45 3
8.46 - 9.15 4
9.16 - 9.45 5
After 9.45 6
Any time 7
Don’t know 8
N.A. 9
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