There’s nothing better than last minute shopping as many Australians take advantage of extended shopping hours, the Australian National Retailers Association’s (ANRA) Christmas survey shows.
ANRA CEO Margy Osmond said 60 per cent of us were either ‘somewhat’ or ‘very’ likely to take advantage of the late night shopping time leading up to Christmas Day.
“Retailers always welcome the flexibility in trading hours some states afford them during the Christmas period, but what we would like to see is the recommendation from the Productivity Commission Inquiry into the retail sector put into place – that is unrestricted trading all year round.
“Retailers appreciate some days of the year are not retailing days – Christmas, Good Friday and the first half of ANZAC day – but the rest of the year retail should be able to respond to the opening hours demands their customers put on them.
“The pre-Christmas rush is an excellent example of how extending shopping hours works well for customers and retailers – there is a demand and shops open their doors – when the demand ends, retailers respond in kind.”
According to the 1,000 Australians that were surveyed by the ANRA, 75 per cent of 18 to 24 year olds and 78 per cent of 25 to 34-year-olds will use the extended hours.
Osmond also welcome the NSW Government’s move not to penalise shop owners who will need to restock their shelves on Christmas Day and Boxing Day – currently considered ‘opening’ the store under legislation introduced by the previous government.
“This is a commonsense approach to take on the legislation, which is under review, no one will be forced to work on public holidays, but retailers will need to water plants, ensure shelves are stocked and fresh food prepared before they open their doors again post-Boxing Day,” she said.