It is extremely disappointing that the Government is yet again seeking changes to Sunday trading, particularly after promising before the election they had no plans to relax the law.
Devolving powers to vary opening times down to local authorities and elected mayors amounts to deregulation by the back door. It is a recipe for chaos in the retail sector, with each area of the country having different regulatory regimes. That is hardly ‘cutting red tape’, a stated aim of the Government.
The Sunday Trading Act is a valued great British compromise, which has worked well for over 20 years and gives everyone a little bit of what they want. Retailers can trade, customers can shop, staff can work; whilst Sunday remains a special day of communal rest allowing shopworkers to spend some time with their family.
Removing Sunday trading laws will not create more trade for retailers or economic growth, it will simply spread the same customer spend over a longer period. The trial of abolishing Sunday trading hours during the London Olympics proved to be a flop. Small shops lost trade, retail sales declined overall and more than half of staff came under pressure to work longer to cover the additional opening.
Keeping Sunday special is essential to the fabric of our society. Longer Sunday opening will have a dramatic effect on family life for no economic gain. We urge readers who value Sundays and want to keep it a special day to participate in the Government’s consultation at: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/devolving-sunday-trading-rules
Yours faithfully,
John Hannett
General Secretary, Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers
Revd Dr Malcolm Brown
Director of Mission and Public Affairs, The Church of England
James Lowman
Chief Executive, Association of Convenience Stores