Trading Hours

[Wayno]

Let's have a discussion about Trading Hours. Does it make sense to extend further? what are the pro's and con's? Personally I like the convenience of long trading hours, but what are the downsides for Traders & their staff? Will we attract more people to SA if we modify? would modifying trading hours increase the CBD's ambience, and make people linger longer (and perhaps more often visit restaurants, bars, etc)

Here's South Australia's trading rules as of today:
http://www.safework.sa.gov.au/show_page.jsp?id=4711

Shop Trading Hours
ADELAIDE METROPOLITAN AREA SHOPPING HOURS FROM 26 October 2003

As from Sunday 26 October 2003 non-exempt shops in the city and suburbs (Greater Adelaide Shopping District - includes City, Glenelg and other suburbs) are permitted, under the Shop Trading Hours Act 1977, to remain open until 9pm on all weekdays (excluding public holidays) and until 5pm on Saturdays. In addition shops can trade between the hours of 11am and 5pm on all Sundays (excluding Easter Sunday).

The Shop Trading Hours Act 1977 regulates the trading hours of retail shops in South Australian 'shopping districts'.

These 'shopping districts' consist of:

• * The Greater Adelaide Shopping District (Adelaide's Central Business District, the Glenelg tourist precinct and the metropolitan area generally)
  * 37 proclaimed shopping districts located in country areas

Shops in the Greater Adelaide Shopping District can trade:

• * until 9:00 pm Mondays to Fridays
  * until 5:00 pm on Saturdays
  * between 11:00 am and 5:00 pm on Sundays

Shops in proclaimed shopping districts can trade until:

• * 6:00 pm Mondays to Wednesdays and Fridays
  * 9:00 pm on Thursdays
  * 5:00 pm on Saturdays

Boats and motor vehicles may be sold until:

• * 6:00 pm Mondays to Wednesdays
  * 9:00 pm Thursdays and Fridays
  * 5:00 pm Saturdays

Some shops are exempt from the Act by virtue of the type of goods they sell (eg newsagents).

Others are exempt because they are of a certain size.

[cruel_world00]

Extended trading hours don't bother me if they are done properly, but it would be hard to enforce what I see as "properly".

I say, if there is demand for extended hours from both the consumer and the workers then go for it. But workers should not have to feel as though they HAVE to work once the hours have been extended. This never happens though. Sunday trading was meant to be like that but now most people work Sundays anyway.

[SRW]

The trading rules are already pretty liberal (though there may be scope to extend to 10pm in the CBD). The problem is that shop owners in the CBD and suburbs prefer to concentrate resources into a sole night of late shopping. That's fair enough, really, but it means that the city in particular remains dead on other weeknights.

What we need to do is find a way to 'incentivise' shop owners to stay open on more nights of the week.

[Ho Really]

Won't small traders lose out if hours are extended further? You'll also have to take into consideration the economy and whether we can afford it and the social and environmental aspects.

Cheers

[monotonehell]

The public has a certain amount of money to spend on things. If you extend trading hours beyond the current convenience hours, the public still only has the same amount of money to spend. This means that traders need to spend more money on operations (wages, electricity, etc) to win the same amount of the public's spend. Therefore extending trading hours more means that shop owners need to choose when they will be open, shops wont be open in a predictable manner, and they will make the same or less profit.

This is why traders choose to concentrate late night shopping on one night, they still get a cut of the public's finite spend with a smaller outlay.

[Omicron]

The public has a certain amount of money to spend on things. If you extend trading hours beyond the current convenience hours, the public still only has the same amount of money to spend. This means that traders need to spend more money on operations (wages, electricity, etc) to win the same amount of the public's spend. Therefore extending trading hours more means that shop owners need to choose when they will be open, shops wont be open in a predictable manner, and they will make the same or less profit.

This is why traders choose to concentrate late night shopping on one night, they still get a cut of the public's finite spend with a smaller outlay.

Hear, hear.

While it's not exactly representative of the whole state, I know that my Kmart store, as one of the few open until 7pm on weekdays, is ridiculously quiet from 5:30pm to 7pm.

[crawf]

This is how ridiculous the trading hours system is in Adelaide

Just 34km from the Adelaide CBD - Mount Barker

Woolworths
Mon-Sun: 6am-9pm
Coles
Mon-Sun: 6am - 11pm (used to be midnight)

So really I believe trading hours for supermarkets in the Adelaide Metropolitan should be extended to at least 9pm on weekends, with a few supermarkets open to midnight 5-7 days a week and a couple of full 24/7 supermarkets (not like the Coles in the city).

Adelaide (not SA) has the second worst trading hours system in Australia, first being Perth. I still really find it pathetic that supermarkets in the Adelaide Metropolitan shut at 5pm on weekends while regional supermarkets (inc Hills) can open to midnight or even 24/7. Really supermarkets should be allowed to open from 7am-9pm Sat-sun, which would make it alot more convenient for consumers.

Hell if Mildura has a better system than Adelaide; theres a 24/7 Coles, Fishies IGA and the 2 Woolworths are open to midnight 7 days a week aswell as most public holidays. It was quite shock when I came to Adelaide

[cruel_world00]

This is how ridiculous the trading hours system is in Adelaide

Just 34km from the Adelaide CBD - Mount Barker

Woolworths
Mon-Sun: 6am-9pm
Coles
Mon-Sun: 6am - 11pm (used to be midnight)

So really I believe trading hours for supermarkets in the Adelaide Metropolitan should be extended to at least 9pm on weekends, with a few supermarkets open to midnight 5-7 days a week and a couple of full 24/7 supermarkets (not like the Coles in the city).

Adelaide (not SA) has the second worst trading hours system in Australia, first being Perth. I still really find it pathetic that supermarkets in the Adelaide Metropolitan shut at 5pm on weekends while regional supermarkets (inc Hills) can open to midnight or even 24/7. Really supermarkets should be allowed to open from 7am-9pm Sat-sun, which would make it alot more convenient for consumers.

Hell if Mildura has a better system than Adelaide; theres a 24/7 Coles, Fishies IGA and the 2 Woolworths are open to midnight 7 days a week aswell as most public holidays. It was quite shock when I came to Adelaide

From a consumer point of view, yeh we might have the second worst. But from a workers point of view, we probably have the second best. Depends on how you look at it really.

[monotonehell]

This is how ridiculous the trading hours system is in Adelaide

Just 34km from the Adelaide CBD - Mount Barker

Woolworths
Mon-Sun: 6am-9pm
Coles
Mon-Sun: 6am - 11pm (used to be midnight)

So really I believe trading hours for supermarkets in the Adelaide Metropolitan should be extended to at least 9pm on weekends, with a few supermarkets open to midnight 5-7 days a week and a couple of full 24/7 supermarkets (not like the Coles in the city).

Adelaide (not SA) has the second worst trading hours system in Australia, first being Perth. I still really find it pathetic that supermarkets in the Adelaide Metropolitan shut at 5pm on weekends while regional supermarkets (inc Hills) can open to midnight or even 24/7. Really supermarkets should be allowed to open from 7am-9pm Sat-sun, which would make it alot more convenient for consumers.

Hell if Mildura has a better system than Adelaide; theres a 24/7 Coles, Fishies IGA and the 2 Woolworths are open to midnight 7 days a week aswell as most public holidays. It was quite shock when I came to Adelaide

The cost of more convenience is larger prices. What's ridiculous is not being satisfied with a store that's already open from before dawn to way after dusk. <-- yes! you have been rolled at!

[Hoops]

Working at a 24/7 Convenience store (On the run Norwood) and doing the 2-midnight shifts generally. There isn't actually THAT many customers after say 9pm (depending on night) and were Built for that particular "after things are closed or as an easier alternative" Sure the market is fairly saturated in the particular area (eastern suburbs) with;
Stepney on Payneham road
Evandale on Portrush road
Kensington slightly further up the parade

Then slightly further then "3minutes drive" is

Erindale (upper kensington road)
Hazlewood park (Glynburn road)

And thats just listing on the run stores.

As someone further up the thread said, Customers only have a certain amount of money... Thats what decides weather or not shops should stay open,

[Norman]

Most supermarkets actually shut at 9pm Monday-Friday, with my local even going till 11pm everyday.

[Omicron]

This is how ridiculous the trading hours system is in Adelaide

Just 34km from the Adelaide CBD - Mount Barker

Woolworths
Mon-Sun: 6am-9pm
Coles
Mon-Sun: 6am - 11pm (used to be midnight)

So really I believe trading hours for supermarkets in the Adelaide Metropolitan should be extended to at least 9pm on weekends, with a few supermarkets open to midnight 5-7 days a week and a couple of full 24/7 supermarkets (not like the Coles in the city).

Adelaide (not SA) has the second worst trading hours system in Australia, first being Perth. I still really find it pathetic that supermarkets in the Adelaide Metropolitan shut at 5pm on weekends while regional supermarkets (inc Hills) can open to midnight or even 24/7. Really supermarkets should be allowed to open from 7am-9pm Sat-sun, which would make it alot more convenient for consumers.

Hell if Mildura has a better system than Adelaide; theres a 24/7 Coles, Fishies IGA and the 2 Woolworths are open to midnight 7 days a week aswell as most public holidays. It was quite shock when I came to Adelaide

There are quite a few exceptions to the metropolitan Adelaide trading hours, of course - the Coles next door to my Kmart is shut only from 9pm to midnight during the week and consequently trades continuously for 21 hours; the Coles nearest my house is open from 7am to 11pm; the McDonald's up the road is open 24 hours; the Subway on Brighton Rd is open 24 hours, a nearby On the Run is open 24 hours, and so on.

I'd imagine that trading hours in regional areas are more lienient in a general sense because, among other things, if the one or two supermarkets in the area are not open beyond 6 or 7, then there are no other options for late-night purchases whatsoever. On the other hand, there are sufficient numbers of supermarkets and fast-food outlets in Adelaide to allow a few to trade for extended hours and the rest to stay closed, which better caters for the limited demand at such late hours. It wouldn't really be necessary to allow all supermarkets to trade well into the night, because sufficient numbers exist (or have the opportunity to apply for similar concessions) that it is possible to purchase with relative ease already.

[crawf]

The cost of more convenience is larger prices. What's ridiculous is not being satisfied with a store that's already open from before dawn to way after dusk. <-- yes! you have been rolled at!

What about people who don't have time to go to the supermarkets during the current trading hours especially on the weekend. Its seriously ridiculous supermarkets have to close at 5pm they should be allowed to open to at least 9pm 7 days a week.

There are quite a few exceptions to the metropolitan Adelaide trading hours, of course - the Coles next door to my Kmart is shut only from 9pm to midnight during the week and consequently trades continuously for 21 hours; the Coles nearest my house is open from 7am to 11pm; the McDonald's up the road is open 24 hours; the Subway on Brighton Rd is open 24 hours, a nearby On the Run is open 24 hours, and so on.

See thats why the current system is a joke, those supermarkets have to shut from 9pm-midnight because of the current trading hours. They should be allowed to open the full 24/7, considering they would get more customers between those hours then after midnight.

I had a look at the Coles website, and the couple of supermarkets which are allowed to open later are basically in Stirling, Aldgate, Mt Barker, Grote St, eastern and western suburbs. There should be at least 2-3 in each other area of Adelaide so its more convenient for customers.

I'd imagine that trading hours in regional areas are more lienient in a general sense because, among other things, if the one or two supermarkets in the area are not open beyond 6 or 7, then there are no other options for late-night purchases whatsoever.

Many regional towns have petrol stations that are open to midnight 7 days a week or 24/7. Some of these petrol stations are like a mini BP on the run or have a 24/7 restaurant.

On the other hand, there are sufficient numbers of supermarkets and fast-food outlets in Adelaide to allow a few to trade for extended hours and the rest to stay closed, which better caters for the limited demand at such late hours. It wouldn't really be necessary to allow all supermarkets to trade well into the night, because sufficient numbers exist (or have the opportunity to apply for similar concessions) that it is possible to purchase with relative ease already.

There have been some really good points raised, however I will stand by my opinion that all major supermarkets should be allowed to open to 9pm on weekends and btw I work at a supermarket.

But then again I guess I should be glad we aren't like Perth which is still debating the idea with relaxing trading hours. Currently supermarkets & retailers can only open to 6pm Mon-Wed & Fri, 9pm on Thursday, 5pm on Saturdays and closed on Sunday and public holidays.

[AtD]

Sydney is one area where trading hours are basically a free for all, and it's also one area where Coles/Woolworths face the greatest amount of competition from small independents. Although one could argue that's probably due to population density as much as trading laws.

[crawf]

Melbourne & Victoria have very relaxed trading hours aswell, There is alot of 24/7 supermarkets around Melbourne and regional towns. While its great for consumers, its not so great for the retail workers.

Adelaide & Brisbane/Queensland looks to be nearly on par on terms of trading hours. In some cases it looks like Adelaide has more relaxed trading hours than Bris/QLD which I didn't know.