Sunday Mail Your Say SA survey reveals growing support for better trading hours

SOUTH Aussie shoppers want laws governing trading hours overhauled and are generally supportive of foreign chains entering the local, the Sunday Mail’s Your Say SA survey reveals.

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THERE is growing support for deregulation of shopping hours in South Australia with the entry of major retailers and shoppers’ push towards more convenience.

About 64 per cent of South Australians, across suburbs and age groups, want to be able to shop when they want, according to the Su nday Mail Your Saysurvey.

Current laws restrict trading in Adelaide on a Sunday to 11am-5pm for some businesses. Shops in the CBD and suburbs must also close by 5pm on a Saturday. The laws also prevent some shops in the suburbs from opening on public holidays with some exemptions along tourist precincts.

SA Independent Retailers Association chief executive Colin Shearing is opposed to the idea of any further deregulation. “If you ask consumers if they would like to shop whenever they want, the majority would say yes, even I would say yes,” he said.

“We don’t, however, live in utopia and the commercial reality is that for bricks and mortar businesses, employing thousands of ... Adelaideans, there will be serious consequences of deregulation of trading hours. We need population growth of around 10 to 15 per cent overnight to even contemplate any extension of trading hours.’’

Australian Retailers Association executive director Russell Zimmerman disagrees.

“SA retailers need to wake up and live in the real world,’’ he says. “My view is you now have Amazon here which is trading 24/7. You have to trade when customers want you there,” Mr Zimmerman said.

The major supermarkets support further deregulation.

Survey respondents were generally open to foreign retailers entering the supermarket wars. Picture: Getty Images

More retailers welcome, but supporting local is key

South Australia’s the belle of the ball as far as retail expansion by German companies goes with 25 more Aldi stores to come – to add to an existing 25 – and a dozen expected from Kaufland in metropolitan Adelaide alone.

It is welcome news to the 40 per cent of South Australians who believed there is a local appetite for more competition as long as it lowers the shopping bill, according to the Sunday Mail Your Say survey.

Another 16 per cent respondents said there was a need for more choice; only 8 per cent said there was no room for more retailers while 21 per cent questioned the need for a foreign supermarket.

About 14 per cent were happy with the current mix of Coles Woolworths, Aldi, Costco and SA-owned independent supermarkets.

Local shoppers account for about 7.5 per cent of Australia’s total spend in supermarket and grocery stores – expected to total $7.6 billion in revenue in 2017-18, according to IbisWorld Australia. Kaufland recently paid $25 million for the Le Cornu site at Forestville.

Independent supermarkets have 32 per cent of the local market, the highest in the nation. SA Independent Retailers chief executive Colin Shearing says the SA-owned stores are crucial to the state’s economy and the 15,000 jobs they support, along with local producers.

“While our owners say bring on the competition, we are not complacent and are continually improving offers and formats that are very localised, yet at world standards,” he says.

Australian Retailers Association executive director Russell Zimmerman says: “SA has a better retail mix than most other states and while the market is strong enough for others to come in, the impact on local supermarket owners needs to be watched.”