South Australian shoppers will be able to avoid panic buying this festive season, as suburban shops are to be open for longer trading.
Treasurer, Rob Lucas said that without the exemption, the State’s “silly” shop-trading laws would have forced suburban retailers – including supermarkets – to close for six out of 10 days over the Christmas-New Year period.
Mr Lucas said he had granted special exemptions under the Shop Trading Hours Act 1977 to allow all shops – regardless of their size or location – to capitalise on the expected surge in retail demand over the festive season, including from fully-vaccinated interstate visitors.
“And for the first time, all suburban shops will be able to trade on New Year’s Day from 11am to 5pm, in addition to the CBD, which is already permitted to trade until 5pm,” he said.
Mr Lucas said the extended trading schedule would kick off on 26 November, with midnight trade on ‘Black Friday’ in the city and suburbs.
He said the extended trading schedule would enable shops to open for a marathon 66-hours straight in the lead up to Christmas, if they chose – from midnight Wednesday 15 December to 6pm Saturday 18 December.
The Treasurer said he had again granted an exemption to allow all suburban shops to open on Boxing Day in addition to the CBD, from 9am to 5pm.
Mr Lucas said all employees working during extended hours would do so on a strictly voluntary basis.
He said shop trading exemptions gazetted on 4 November included Black Friday (26 November) 9pm to midnight and Sundays 28 November, 5 December, 12 December and 19 December 9am to 11am.
The newly free dates included Thursday 16 December, Friday 17 December and Thursday 23 December which could be open from 9pm to midnight and Saturday 18 December and Sunday 19 December between 5pm and 6pm.
Boxing Day (26 December) will be able to open 9am to 5pm; Monday 27 December and Tuesday 28 December 9am to 5pm with New Year’s Day (1 January) 11am to 5pm; Sunday 2 January 9am and 11am and Monday 3 January 9am to 5pm.
