Sunday trading laws to be relaxed

Chancellor George Osborne is expected to unveil plans that would allow shops in England and Wales to be open for longer on Sundays.

The proposal, which will be included in the Wednesday (July 8th) budget, will give elected mayors and councils powers to relax laws locally if it might boost economic activity.

Currently, the laws allow for smaller shops to be open all day. Those over 280 sq m can only be open six hours.

The Association of Convenience Stores criticised the plan, saying that it could lead to some small shops struggling. However, research by the New West End Company, which represents some 600 businesses in London, indicated that two extra hours of Sunday trading could create nearly 3,000 jobs and generate more than £200 million a year in extra sales in the capital.

During the Olympic and Paralympic Games, a scheme was trialled to allow stores to be open longer on Sundays.

According to Mr Osborne, there is a "growing appetite" for shopping on Sundays, but the decisions to relax the laws in a manner similar to what was done in 2012 should be done on a local level.

"There is some evidence that transactions for Sunday shopping are actually growing faster than those for Saturday," he said, adding that the rise of online shopping – which people can do at any time – means that retailers need to compete by being open longer at the weekend.

"But this won't be right for every area, so I want to devolve the power to make this decision to mayors and local authorities," he said.

Sundays are "miserable"

Small business minister Anna Soubry agrees with the decision.

She said Sunday is the most "miserable" day of the week and believes it's a myth that families use the day of rest to come together, reports the BBC.

"The only thing to look forward to was Sing Something Simple on the radio. Goodness me, if that didn't sum up a miserable Sunday," she commented.

While she conceded that people do enjoy going to church and switching off, she also thinks that being more flexible with retail options will "brighten up" the day for many people. It will also add jobs and improve flexibility for those who work unusual hours, she said.

StoneX Financial Ltd (trading as “City Index”) is an execution-only service provider. This material, whether or not it states any opinions, is for general information purposes only and it does not take into account your personal circumstances or objectives. This material has been prepared using the thoughts and opinions of the author and these may change. However, City Index does not plan to provide further updates to any material once published and it is not under any obligation to keep this material up to date. This material is short term in nature and may only relate to facts and circumstances existing at a specific time or day. Nothing in this material is (or should be considered to be) financial, investment, legal, tax or other advice and no reliance should be placed on it.

No opinion given in this material constitutes a recommendation by City Index or the author that any particular investment, security, transaction or investment strategy is suitable for any specific person. The material has not been prepared in accordance with legal requirements designed to promote the independence of investment research. Although City Index is not specifically prevented from dealing before providing this material, City Index does not seek to take advantage of the material prior to its dissemination. This material is not intended for distribution to, or use by, any person in any country or jurisdiction where such distribution or use would be contrary to local law or regulation.

For further details see our full non-independent research disclaimer and quarterly summary.

CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 69% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money. CFD and Forex Trading are leveraged products and your capital is at risk. They may not be suitable for everyone. Please ensure you fully understand the risks involved by reading our full risk warning.

City Index is a trading name of StoneX Financial Ltd. Head and Registered Office: 1st Floor, Moor House, 120 London Wall, London, EC2Y 5ET. StoneX Financial Ltd is a company registered in England and Wales, number: 05616586. Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. FCA Register Number: 446717.

City Index is a trademark of StoneX Financial Ltd.

The information on this website is not targeted at the general public of any particular country. It is not intended for distribution to residents in any country where such distribution or use would contravene any local law or regulatory requirement.