This announcement was met in October by local outrage, with a petition quickly gathering 2000 votes against the idea, which then prompted Stornoway Community Council to write to the retailer, requesting them to reconsider. Tesco refused, and their doors opened promptly - for the first time - on a cold Sunday morning in November. This initial opening was met with a small group of protesters, complete with placards and Bible verses.
However, in a recent Guardian article, locals have been revealing their frustration at the outside understanding of this debate - one on religion over modernisation, rather than one that centres on concern for the community. Some feel that the Sabbath is a general day of rest, religious or not, and Tesco should’ve respected this local tradition. On the other hand, some believe that the move is the right one, and will bring more money to the islands – and will also keep more young people from leaving for the mainland. A report by NHS Western Isles showed that the number of women aged 25–44 on the group of islands had fallen by 15% since 2007.
The Outer Hebrides are islands ruled by the Free Church and the Church of Scotland - one of only three pubs in the village I grew up in (and there were only four on the island) was converted into a church and I was lectured frequently on the merits of Christianity by my school peers. It’s an incredibly religious community, and being non-religious within this community proved something of a struggle, as I’m sure it did to many. The concept of shops and businesses being closed on a Sunday because it was the Lord’s Day initially seemed ridiculous to me, coming from Newcastle – and so it took me some time to adjust to this facet of island life.
locals have been revealing their frustration at the outside understanding of this debate - one on religion over modernisation, rather than one that centres on concern for the community.
While I understand the benefits of a Sunday opening, I can also understand the effect and the response it has received. The Outer Hebrides has an ageing population, many of whom have lived their whole lives on these islands and have been guided by these traditions since birth. They are the backbone of the community, and the Sabbath is deeply sacred to them. The community in the islands is incredibly close knit and their frustration around the interpretation of this debate is understandable; it paints the community as backward, when they are in fact very protective of their own. The benefits are however undeniable – economic boosts, more working hours available, and you’re not in a tight spot if you’ve forgotten about packed lunches for Monday. Regardless of whether one is for or against this new opening, the handling of this on Tesco’s part has been dire; a once united community is now divided, and Tesco appear to be doing very little to handle their customer relations.
Having adapted to the old Sunday tradition myself, I have no doubt that many in the community will adapt to the new Sunday tradition, but it does beg the question – how valued are the opinions of the people, in the eyes of major corporations? Is this a precursor to bigger things, that will have more “profound” effects on larger communities? Will Tesco’s disregard for the feelings of their customers grow further until they are an unstoppable force, intent on making you buy their pastries even though Mairi at church has made a batch herself? Who knows, but it’ll certainly be interesting to see how this develops.