Two thirds of Brits want a permanent extension of Sunday trading hours
- 67% of those surveyed supported a reform in Sunday trading hours
- Over a quarter of those surveyed already shop at least once a month on Sunday
A new national survey by ComRes for Open Sundays revealed that, when asked to what extent they would support or oppose a permanent extension of Sunday trading hours, 67% of respondents were in favour of a reform with over a third (35%) of respondents strongly supporting the idea. Only 15% of those polled strongly opposed the concept of reform and three quarters already shop at least once a month on a Sunday. Across the UK, 18-24 year olds are the most supportive of full liberalisation, with 78% of respondents in this age group behind the reform. The research was commissioned by Open Sundays, a new grass-roots campaigning group which is working towards a reform in the Sunday trading laws.
Under the Sunday Trading Act 1994, stores over 3,000 sq. ft. are restricted to opening for only 6 hours between 10am and 6pm only, although there are and have been exceptions. In the run up to the 2012 Olympics, the Sunday Trading (London Olympic Games and Paralympic Games) Act 2012 was passed to relax Sunday trading laws for 8 consecutive weeks, accommodating for the Olympic tourists; the temporary liberalisation showed a 3.2% increase in sales, dropping to 1.6% once the laws were reinforced.
Regionally, the strongest support for reform is in Wales, with over two thirds (68%) of respondents supporting the reform. Yorkshire, the North West and North East followed closely, with 67% from each region backing the changes.
Mark Allatt, co-founder of the Open Sundays campaign, comments:
“The Sunday Trading Act is a relic and needs to go. We live in the 21st century and lots of people just don’t have time to shop during the week. Online shopping has allowed us to shop whenever is most convenient for us; we can click and collect at 9am on a Sunday morning but can’t physically buy anything from a shop until 10am – it doesn’t make any sense.”
Allatt continues:
“Sunday trading reform would be good for consumers, good for the High Street and good for shop workers who want the freedom to earn at the weekends. If stores were to open later on a Sunday, then leisure services like restaurants would follow suit as the town centres and high streets fill up again on a Sunday evening. This gives families more time to go out together at the weekend, and fuels the economy. Those that work in retail would have the opportunity to work extra hours, while remaining fully protected by law from unfair dismissal and being forced to work Sundays if they don’t want to.”