Australia’s peak retail body, the Australian Retailers Association (ARA), has welcomed an announcement from the Western Australian National Party in support of reductions to trading hour restrictions for metropolitan Perth retailers.
ARA CEO Paul Zahra says the move would be applauded by the retail sector.
“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,” he said.
“We are now calling on the Labor government and Liberal Opposition to support this measure.”
The ARA has long advocated for the deregulation of trading hours across the country.
Mr Zahra said while these changes would mark a step in the right direction, full deregulation must remain a priority.
Perth traders are currently restricted to trading between 8AM and 9PM from Monday to Friday, 8AM to 5pm on Saturday, and 11AM to 5PM 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” Mr Zahra said.
“Shopping is no longer confined to brick-and-mortar stores with set trading hours. Consumers now expect convenience, choice and the ability to shop when it suits them.
“They also expect to shop the sales like Black Friday without the pressure of limited opening hours. It is time for state governments to recognise that the world of retail has transformed.”