Retailers welcome proposed deregulated trading hours in WA

ARA said it is calling on the Labor government and the Liberal Opposition to support the measure.

The post Retailers welcome proposed deregulated trading hours in WA appeared first on Inside Retail Australia.

Retailers have welcomed the Western Australian National Party’s election commitment to deregulate trading hours for businesses, allowing stores to open 24 hours a day.

Currently, WA businesses are restricted to trading between 8 am and 9 pm from Monday to Friday, 8 am to 5 pm on Saturday, and 11 am to 5 pm on Sunday.

“These restrictions are most evident as we head into the all-important Christmas trading period
when many discretionary retailers make up to two-thirds of their profits. Customers and retailers
in Western Australia are worse-off because of the highly regulated trading hours,” said Paul Zahra, CEO of the Australian Retailers Association.

“Customers expect to shop where and when they like – and they expect the same convenience in physical stores as they get online. The settings in WA are restrictive and don’t reflect the 24-hour retail economy we see around the world.”

Nationals WA leader Shane Love, at a campaign event, cited a 2021 report from the WA Chamber of Commerce and Industry, which found that 70 per cent of businesses and retailers in the state are seeking more freedom and flexibility around trading hours.

“With the rise of online shopping, higher business costs, and a need to energise the Perth CBD post-Covid, we must adapt to the needs of the modern retail environment,” said Love.

“This policy will also empower local decision making, allowing metropolitan LGAs to set local trading hours just as regional communities already do.”

The ARA has called on the Labor government and the Liberal Opposition to support the measure.

The post Retailers welcome proposed deregulated trading hours in WA appeared first on Inside Retail Australia.