Retailers across New Zealand are calling for changes to the country’s Easter trading laws, describing the current settings as no longer fit for purpose.
Retail NZ CEO Carolyn Young said the rules around Easter trading are confusing, inconsistent, and outdated.
“The current laws unfairly target bricks-and-mortar retailers in many parts of the country,” she said. “While some stores in specific places have trading exemptions, retailers tell us they are frustrated that some shops can trade while others cannot, simply because of the area they are located.”
On Easter Sunday, most stores are generally closed, but some parts of the country have relaxed laws, mostly due to their popularity as tourist destinations.
Young said retailers want to decide for themselves whether or not to open over Easter, rather than having the local council or Government make that decision for them.
“There are no trading restrictions for online stores and the current restrictions are not fair on consumers who might want to take advantage of the long weekend to go shopping and support their local retail sector,” Young said.
“Additionally, while Easter Sunday is a restricted trading day, it is not a Public Holiday, which causes financial and administrative headaches for retail employers and employees alike.”
Young added that in such a challenging economic environment in which New Zealand retail has been struggling for some years, the missed opportunity to capitalise on public holiday trade is difficult for many of those working in the retail sector to accept.