Every so often the question is raised: are Sunday trading laws too restrictive? They were briefly loosened in 2012, for the Olympic Games, but Tory plans to change the rules failed in 2016 and 2020. I asked James Lowman, CEO of the Association of Convenience Stores, about it.
What are the Sunday trading rules?
Since 1994, in England and Wales, a store over 3,000 sq feet (280 sq metres) – roughly the size of a doubles tennis court – can open for only six consecutive hours on a Sunday between 10am and 6pm.
And Scotland?
There aren’t any restrictions, yet most shops still have different Sunday hours.
Oh, interesting! If people don’t want to shop on a Sunday, then you wouldn’t spend money staying open.
There’s a bunch of factors. In 1994, the main concerns were: what is the right balance for shop workers, what do Sunday hours mean for family life and having a day that is not like the others? There were religious considerations, but fewer than is made out.
I got talking about opening hours at my in-laws and let’s just say I haven’t seen such a split opinion since Brexit.
When we speak to consumers, there’s support for the rules. But people who don’t like the rules are split between those who say opening stores at all on Sunday is wrong, and those who say shops should be able to open 24/7. Large retailers overall seem happy, as it’s understood that potential revenue from longer opening ends up being spread across the week anyway.
Makes sense – longer hours wouldn’t mean people suddenly have more money. What about workers? I know the shop workers’ union is opposed.
It comes back to this idea of a day that’s not like the others. That feeds into pay awards – there are still overtime bonuses for Sundays in many stores – and the fact that, legally, shop workers can’t be compelled to work on a Sunday. Since there are limited opportunities for the whole family to be together, the sentiment is that these rules make it easier for families.
Do you think, with hybrid and flexible working, that Sunday restrictions could soon become inconvenient, as our working weeks move away from traditional patterns?
The opposite! The restrictions are less disruptive than ever. Back in the day, you did your big shop at one place. Now people shop in diverse ways: supermarkets, a specialist discounter, online. So it’s really just one option that’s out of bounds for a few hours.
But with the cost of living crisis, people may need access to the budget supermarkets and pound shops over convenience stores?
It’s interesting – our sector’s reputation with the public has moved on, especially over Covid. We’re aware we can’t compete on price. Yet roughly two-thirds of our surveyed customers said convenience stores were still important to them, because they saved them a car journey, helped manage cashflow and reduced food waste, as you tend not to buy in multipacks.
Using cash and buying single items from a local friendly face – that’s old-school shopping! Maybe changing the rules would be solving a problem that doesn’t exist.
Exactly. Whether it was intended or just how it worked out, these rules have an enduring appeal.
