Large retailers in Albany have gained a long-awaited green light to trade on Sundays, a move the chamber chief says could bolster its attractiveness to other major outlets.
Large retailers in Albany have gained a long-awaited green light to trade on Sundays, a move the chamber chief says could bolster its attractiveness to other major outlets.
Commerce Minister Sue Ellery approved the City of Albany’s application to extend its trading hours, after the city received overwhelming community support for the move.
It brings the Great Southern town in line with other regional cities who have more flexible trading hours, after the city's previous attempt to move on Sunday trading was knocked back.
It will also give Albany businesses another hour of trade on Sundays and public holidays compared to their metropolitan counterparts, being 10am to 5pm compared to 11am to 5pm in Perth.
Among those against the extension was the late Paul Lionetti, who was a prominent businessman and owner of two of the three local IGAs. Those IGAs can trade on Sundays.
The restrictions around Sunday trading in Albany have been a hotly contested topic for many years.
In a widely reproted move, Mr Lionetti pulled his advertising from what was one of the county's last independent newspapers, the Great Southern Weekender, after articles labelled the city 'dullsville' due to the restrictions.
That newspaper has since closed, and Mr Lionetti previously owned shares in it.
Under Albany’s current laws, which will be overhauled on February 5, only small retail businesses are allowed to trade on Sundays, while medium and large players must remain closed.
From that date next year, major retailers like Woolworths, Coles, and Kmart will be allowed to open their doors for the first time on Sundays and most public holidays.
Other medium retail businesses will also have the flexibility to choose to open under the updated trading hours, as well as non-profit outlets like Good Sammys.
Albany Chamber of Commerce and Industry chief executive Kristen Pyrz-Brown said the extended trading hours provided more flexibility, especially for small to medium retailers.
She said it was a good opportunity for them assess different operating models to attract more customers and take advantage of tourist season.
The extended trading hours could make Albany more attractive for other larger retailers looking to move into town, according to Ms Pyrz-Brown.
“I think the combination of the fact that the city has grown exponentially in the last few years and also the opportunity to be open all the same hours that metropolitan is, does make us an attractive prospect for some of those franchises, or those larger retail stores to put Albany on the map,” she said.
When asked whether paying penalty rates would deter some small to medium retailers from opening on Sundays and public holidays, Ms Pyrz-Brown said she thought the uptake would be a slow burn.
She said the smaller retailers may need proof of retail figures before extending their hours, pointing to the many owner-operated retailers in Albany.
“We’ll have Woolworths, Coles, Kmart, Spotlight and Officeworks that will now have the opportunity to open and draw in consumers,” she said.
“You'll have your people that are ahead of the curve, your leaders that will think ‘right, we can make this work, let's just give it a go and see what comes of it’.
“But there'll be people who will actually need to see the evidence of retail figures to understand a bit more about whether or not there is people coming into town.”
Commerce Minister Sue Ellery said approving the application for extended retail trading hours reflected the community's desire for greater flexibility and convenience.
"These new retail trading hours are a testament to our commitment to supporting local business and enhancing the city's appeal with visitors,” she said.
City of Albany Mayor Greg Stocks said the community expressed a clear and strong opinion on the future of retail trading in Albany.
He said he was pleased the state government had approved this change for their residents.
"It is uplifting to see the voice of the Albany community heard by local and state government and I look forward to this change benefiting our community,” he said.
Todays’ update comes after the more than three-quarters of 11,000 respondents to a city-run poll supported the move to allow large retailers to trade on Sundays.
Then, Albany councillors unanimously backed the move for extended trading hours.
Nationals WA leader Shane Love applauded the extended trading hours for Albany, but used the update to take aim at Perth's restrictions. The party would move to deregulate trading hours in Perth's CBD, should it form government at the upcoming election.
“While shoppers in Albany will be able to visit stores from 10am on Sundays and public holidays, those in the metropolitan region are still stuck with outdated restrictions," he said.
“It’s absurd that Perth consumers can shop online with multinational companies like Amazon and eBay 24- hours a day, yet they remain shut out from supporting small retailers in their local communities until almost lunchtime on a Sunday.”
