Good News For Sunday Shoppers

Sunday trading hours for smaller shops could be extended for two hours.

16:41 08 July 2015

Chancellor George Osborne has laid out plans that could allow shops in England and Wales to open longer on Sundays. The proposal could empower elected mayors and council to make the change to boost economic activity. 

 

Currently, shops that are over 280sqm are restricted to just six hours during Sunday. 

 

A recent research suggested that two extra hours during Sunday could create 3,000 jobs in the capital. The Treasury, which conducted the research, also said that the move could generate more than £200m a year in additional sales in London.

 

Chancellor George Osborne said: "There is some evidence that transactions for Sunday shopping are actually growing faster than those for Saturday.

 

"The rise of online shopping, which people can do round the clock, also means more retailers want to be able to compete by opening for longer at the weekend.

 

"But this won't be right for every area, so I want to devolve the power to make this decision to mayors and local authorities," he added.

 

However, Association of Convenience Stores chief executive James Lowman, said: "The short period of time that small stores are open while large stores are shut is a crucial advantage for convenience stores, most of which are owned by small businesses.

 

"Liberalising Sunday trading hours would make some small stores unviable,"