Retail NZ has written to the Minister for Workplace Relations Lain Lees-Galloway asking him to amend or repeal the Shop Trading Hours Act, outlining concern that it restricts the ability of shops to open on Easter Sunday.

Retail NZ’s general manager of public affairs Greg Hardford said that the bill needs to be amended to eliminate shop trading hour restrictions.

“In the 21st century, it’s just not necessary for the Government or councils to be making decisions about whether to allow choice on Easter Sunday,” he said.

“There are no longer restrictions on most days of the year, but customer demand means that shops are not open 24/7, and are sometimes not even open on ordinary Sundays and public holidays,” he continued.

“Historically, the Government tried to ban shopping through regulation, but created a host of exemptions that created unfairness and disadvantage, both for individual retailers, and for whole communities.

“The last National Government completely failed the retail sector by delegating decision-making about whether shops can open to local councils.  This has been an expensive and confusing exercise, which has just created further inequities,” Hadford said.