MOST supermarkets and Town shops will have to remain closed on Christmas Eve due to Sunday trading legislation. The Commerce and Employment Department has said there will be no change to opening arrangements this year or next, when 23 December is on a Sunday.
‘We can expect that Christmas Eve this year and December 23 next year will be much like any other Sunday,’ said Commerce and Employment deputy minister Carla McNulty Bauer.
‘Some shops may be open, especially the smaller convenience grocery stores, but the larger supermarkets and also the majority of shops in Town will have to remain closed.’
Commerce and Employment earlier this year consulted with consumer representatives, retailers, church groups and parish authorities on whether the law should be relaxed for those days.
‘The overwhelming view put forward by those responding to the consultation was that no changes should be introduced for either 2006 or 2007, and that the current Sunday trading arrangements should continue,’ said Deputy McNulty Bauer.
‘I think it will have very little effect,’ said Chamber of Commerce retail subcommittee chairman Tony Creasey, who also runs Creasey’s department stores and the island’s Marks & Spencer franchise.
‘I think the tendency over the last few Christmases has been for people to be much more organised with their shopping and there has not been a mad panic on Christmas Eve.
‘People are generally able to organise their shopping over different times, and there will be extended opening hours through the week ‘before Christmas’ or in the evenings and there will be every opportunity for people to do their shopping.
‘We were part of the consultation process and most of the people we spoke to felt there was no need to ask the authorities to change the existing Sunday trading arrangements.’
James de Lisle, who runs out-of-town retailer Keyprice, has previously battled to be allowed to trade on Sundays in the run-up to Christmas.
He said his store was allowed to open - and would be trading - on the dates in question.
He said the Christmas plans would not affect him and that he was unaware of any other retailers who would have objected to the arrangements.
He said he was happy with the current situation but that the Sunday trading law was something of a farce.
He added that he had not been consulted about the latest proposals.
‘It would have been very helpful to have participated in something like that for the simple reason that I have first-class experience, having opened on a Sunday for the last few years. Surely my comments would have been valuable to the meeting,’ said Mr de Lisle.
Article posted on 26th September, 2006 - 12.00am
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