Retailers operating in NSW will extend trading hours in the two weeks before Christmas Day.
All NSW retailers within a business zone will be allowed to open 24 hours from midnight from today until midnight December 24 without planning approval.
In addition all stores have now been given the option to trade on Boxing Day for the first time ever.
Australian Retailers Association (ARA) executive director Russell Zimmerman believes that the move is a sign of the times.
“The extension of hours is reflective of the new 24/7 global economy we now live in, with consumers able to jump online and purchase at any hour of the day or night they desire.
“Physical retail stores are also cashing in on this convenience, which for both consumers and retailers alike, is a real bonus during the busy Christmas period.”
Zimmerman also said that extending trading hours is good news for suburban businesses.
“Suburban and regional NSW retailers and shopping centres should see a rush of shoppers looking to grab a bargain in the annual Boxing Day sales for the first time, which will take some of the strain off the Sydney CBD and tourist areas that in past years have seen some overcrowding.
“The Boxing Day trade extension will also level the playing field for retailers, some of which who had been disadvantaged on December 26 when some retailers – often in the next suburb – were able to open, while others were hamstrung by an archaic law that said they must remain closed.”
This Christmas NSW is expected to rake in around $14.8 billion in trade.