Sunday opening: Time for a reform?

Following 20 years since the Sunday Trading Act 1994 came into place, a national survey by Open Sundays revealed the want for longer opening hours.

A national survey by ComRes for Open Sundays, a campaign group comprising consumers, shop workers and retailers, has revealed that 64 per cent of British people would support a reform of the liberalisation of Sunday trading hours.

Only 16 per cent of those polled strongly opposed the concept of longer shopping hours, with the 18-24 year old demographic most supportive of full liberalisation.

“The Sunday Trading Act is outdated and needs to go,” says Mark Allatt, co-founder of Open Sundays. “The Britain of 20 years ago is a very different place to the Britain of today – and we should be free to shop when we want and where we want.

“Sunday trading reform would be good for consumers, good for the high street and good for shop workers who want the freedom to work at the weekends when they choose. If stores were open later on a Sunday, leisure industries such as restaurants would follow suit as the town centres and high streets fill up again on a Sunday evening. This gives families and friends more time to go out together at the weekend, and benefits the economy. Those who work in retail would have the opportunity to work extra hours, while remaining fully protected by law from being forced to work Sundays if they don’t want to.”

ComRes interviewed 2,053 GB adults online between 14 and 16 March 2014. ComRes is a member of the British Polling Council