In the upcoming budget this week, Chancellor George Osborne will put forward a proposal for shops in England and Wales to stay open for longer on Sundays. It is a contentious issue, with many business owners and industry commentators supporting the move, whilst the shopworkers’ union Usdaw and independent shop groups are strongly, and vocally, against it.
What are the rules at the moment?
Before 1994, trading in shops on a Sunday was illegal, albeit with certain exceptions, under a law that had been in place since the 1950s.
The Sunday Trading Act changed that, with shops being allowed to open but restricting outlets of over 3,000 sq ft to a maximum of six hours between 10am and 6pm only.
What has changed?
Along with a general cultural shift away from the idea of Sunday as a day of rest throughout the UK and the growth of online shopping, the restrictions were lifted for the Olympics in 2012 in a move that was largely seen as a success and a road test for the current proposals.
What is the Government proposing?
The Government wants to loosen the current restrictions to give different parts of the country a say in how the rules are changed in their area, or even if. What are the advantages? According to a study by the New West End Company, an extra two hours of trading in London’s shops alone would create nearly 3,000 extra jobs and generate over £200 million in additional sales. Translated across the UK, this represents a huge boost to the economy. It would also allow high street shops to compete with the internet, which is of course open 24/7 as well as obviously being more convenient for the public in general.
What are the disadvantages?
Smaller shops and independents, which make a good trade on Sundays due to the restrictions, may be forced out of business if trade shifts significantly to larger supermarkets. There is also an argument that the move will lead to confusion amongst shoppers if Sunday trading restrictions are different in different parts of the country.
What the industry commentators say:
“It is of course archaic that large shops still have to close for much of the day on Sunday which is one of the most important shopping days of the week. With all due respect to Christians, they do not have to shop on Sundays if they don’t want to. By increasing the time allowed for large shops to open will reduce pressure on Saturdays and will create more jobs. It should be up to local communities to decide, as has been suggested. As for convenience stores, they retain their advantage of being convenient as opposed to out of town or in a major shopping area in which it is almost always difficult to park. Given the massive swing away from large supermarkets to the High Street, I would have thought they have already had the help they claim they need.” Peter Burgess
Managing Director, Retail Human Resources
What the unions say:
"This Act is a Great British compromise, which has worked well for over 20 years and gives everyone a little bit of what they want. Retailers can trade, customers can shop, staff can work; whilst Sunday remains a special day, different to other days, and shopworkers can spend some time with their family. “Any proposal to extend Sunday trading hours misunderstands the retail sector. The last thing that retailers need is a race to open 24 hours a day 7 days week, resulting in a big increase in overheads and no increase in revenue through the tills.”
John Hannett General Secretary, Usdaw
What the retail workers say:
As it currently stands, our poll of retail workers shows that 75% of people are opposed to the plans, with 25% in favour. What do you think? Have your say here.
As a working mother of two, I would selfishly admit that longer opening hours at the weekend would be great. Saturdays and Sunday mornings are taken up with sport which only leaves a small window on Sunday afternoon to go shopping. Longer hours would mean a lot less panic buying and racing around supermarkets as they are closing! That said, having grown up with a parent who worked in retail, I did really appreciate our time together on a Sunday (shops weren't open on a Sunday then) so I'm torn. I think I'll have to sit on the fence a little longer!