Bank Holiday

I can't get over the fact that all (most) shops are open today.
When deciding what to do earlier in their trip I'd said that as the shops would be shut on Monday it would be best to take a drive in the country.
It appears that I was wrong (you have no idea how hard it is to write that). 
Coming from France where any excuse is taken to shut up for the day, this has come as a bit of an eye opener.
To me it makes sense. If I'm a shopkeeper then the best time to be open is when lots of people are at home kicking their heels. Mum wants to get dad out with her to 'share the experience', Dads go to the shops to keep their wives happy and the kids can get Dad to buy something to stuff into their angelic little faces.
Everyone wins, including the shopkeeper. Admittedly he would prefer to be home rather than at work but if he has to be at the shops he might as well be earning some money. Seems simple to me.