The WA Opposition has adopted CCIWA’s recommendation to allow retail trading on Sunday mornings.
In a tweet, WA Liberal leader Lisa Harvey said that, if elected, her government would give retailers and families the choice to start Sunday shopping at 8am to “provide convenience to West Australians”.
“Furthermore, extended trading hours will help to avoid cramming customers together at shopping centres, which is a sensible public health approach in the new COVID world.”
CCIWA Chief Economist Aaron Morey welcomed the support in the campaign to increase trading hours.
“The current approach is out-of-step with contemporary life; a bizarre relic of decades past,” he says.
“Increased trading hours would deliver economic and social benefits right across the community.”
Visitation to local shopping precincts increases turnover for cafes, newsagents and other small retailers.
These include:
- more hours of work for young Western Australians;
- driving more foot traffic into local shopping precincts; and
- more convenience for busy WA families.
CCIWA’s push for increased retail trading hours is part of a suite of reforms to WA’s outdated shopping restrictions outlined in its Pre-Budget Submission.
They include aligning Saturday and weekday trading from 8am to 9pm and removing some of the baffling regulations which mandate the categories of products WA shops can sell.
As Chief Economist Aaron Morey outlines: “a domestic development shop can sell light bulbs but not light fittings, outdoor lighting but not indoor lighting, wood-fire heaters but not gas heaters, indoor TV antennae but not outdoor TV aerials, and kitchen sinks but not dishwashers.”
“The list of bizarre regulations reads like a Monty Python skit.
“CCIWA looks forward to continuing to work with both the Government and Opposition to advance more policies to grow jobs and strengthen WA businesses.”
