Treasurer Rob Lucas uses ministerial powers to extend SA Christmas shopping hours

Family-owned retailers fear they will be crushed by “corporate monsters” after the Treasurer approved a shopping marathon around Christmas and New Year.

South Australian independent and family-owned businesses have warned they will suffer at the hands of “retail corporate monsters” under a slew of trading exemptions that will allow shops to stay open for 66 hours straight in the lead-up to Christmas.

Treasurer Rob Lucas has wielded special ministerial powers to keep shops open for longer in the festive season, a move he says will supercharge the economy once borders open.

Among the exemptions include giving suburban SA shops the ability to trade on New Year’s Day for the first time.

SA Independent Retailers boss Colin Shearing said the move was done “by stealth” and slammed it as a step “too far”.

“The Treasurer has sold out to the massive retail corporates and shopping centres, at the expense of family owned businesses,” Mr Shearing said.

“Clearly the government has sided with the retail corporate monsters, doesn’t care about SA’s small business economy, and continues to hand over trade to non-SA owned

corporates.”

But Australia’s largest peak retail body, the Australian Retailers Association, welcomed the decision, in a vastly different view.

Association boss Paul Zahra said the exemptions meant SA businesses could look forward to an “even brighter Christmas trading period”.

“We currently have outdated trading hour restrictions in South Australia that are not reflective of modern-day consumer trends, but these exemptions are a step in the right direction,” Mr Zahra said

Under Mr Lucas’s exemptions, the state’s extended shopping schedule will start with trading until midnight on Black Friday, three days after SA’s borders are expected to open on November 23.

“Christmas is coming early for retailers right across the city and suburbs, with a surge in spending activity expected from late November with the easing of border restrictions,” Mr Lucas said.

Treasurer Rob Lucas has announced a range of shop trading hour exemptions.

In line with previous years under the Marshall government, Mr Lucas will allow shops to stay open for 66 hours straight from midnight on Wednesday, December 15 to 6pm on Saturday, December 18.

In 2019, Westfield Marion took advantage by hosting a 32-hour non-stop trading marathon in the lead-up to Christmas Eve.

All suburban shops would again be granted an exemption to open on Boxing Day this year.

In an SA first, Mr Lucas will allow all suburban shops to join CBD businesses in opening on New Year’s Day.

“After more than 18 months of Covid, where many local businesses have been struggling to stay afloat … there’s never been a more critical time to roll out the welcome mat and give retailers the opportunity to trade,” Mr Lucas said.

Premier Steven Marshall at Marion Shopping Centre during Boxing Day sales in 2018. The state government will take a policy of full deregulation of shop trading hours to the next election.

CommBank data released on Monday showed trading in NSW rose 23.3 per cent last week, coinciding with new freedoms, while Victorian spending increased 10 per cent from pre-pandemic levels.

An Opposition spokesman criticised Mr Lucas for not declaring Christmas Day, which falls on a Saturday this year, an official public holiday.

“Extending shopping hours in the lead-up to Christmas is not unusual, but what is unusual is refusing to declare Christmas Day a public holiday,” he said.

“This means thousands of workers who sacrifice their Christmas Day to go to work will miss out on the penalty rates they deserve.”

The upper house last month passed an SA Greens bill that would make this year’s Christmas Day a public holiday.

It will need the support from the lower house crossbench to pass when parliament sits again in two weeks.

Business SA in August withdrew support for full deregulation of shop trading hours.

Full deregulation remains a policy the state government will take to the March 2022 election.

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