Constable has doubts over Sunday trading trial

Sunday 09 February 2014

Letting supermarkets and other large shops open on Sundays may not improve the fortunes of retailers, according to the head of the Constable’s Committee.

Speaking on the BBC’s Politics Hour show, Trinity Constable John Gallichan said that plans by the Economic Development Minister for an 18-month trial to allow all shops to open seven-days-per-week may not help. He said that although an extra day of trading would add costs for businesses, it would not necessarily create more demand.

Mr Gallichan – who was appearing on the show to discuss the Sunday trading issue with Economic Development Minister Alan Maclean – said: “Everyone has not got a vast amount of money to spend – they have a limited amount. Once they have spent their money, I am afraid that the shops can stay open as long as they want – it won’t encourage any more business.

“I can see why Alan is trying to help retail businesses but I am concerned when I hear someone tell me that they went to buy something in town and was told there was a six-week delivery time, and then went online and it was five days. The whole world is changing but you wonder if the time has come that maybe there are too many shops.”

Just three years after the States approved a new system to modernise restrictive rules on Sunday trading, the proposed trial scheme would drop the restriction on large shops trading seven-days-a-week from June, subject to agreement by the States.

Both politicians were asked if they would be standing for re-election in October, and both declined to answer – although Senator Maclean hinted that if he did, he might be looking for a new ministerial job after six years at Economic Development.