Title : Independent retailers fear hardline stance if moves to change shopping hours fail
link : Independent retailers fear hardline stance if moves to change shopping hours fail
Independent retailers fear hardline stance if moves to change shopping hours fail
Larger independent retailers operating outside regular shopping hours in Adelaide are bracing for the consequences if moves to deregulate trading are defeated.
The retailers have argued that deregulation would devastate their business model by forcing them to compete against Woolworths and Coles on public holidays.
Following months of lobbying against relaxed shopping hours, some stores were audited by SafeWork SA to ensure they were no bigger than the 400 square metres allowed for less restrictive trading.
Treasurer Rob Lucas said the audit revealed "five to 10" stores were "flouting" shop trading laws by being too large to trade before 11:00am on Sundays, after 5:00pm on weekdays and on public holidays.
He said the Government had not issued letters or orders to comply and was not prosecuting stores, but he did warn that if the deregulation bill was defeated, "then sadly, we will have to enforce the law".
"But we're keen for these people to be able to trade [with deregulated hours]," he said.
"We've introduced a bill into Parliament and hopefully that will fix it. That's the irony of all this."
The Government on Tuesday introduced the Retail Trading Bill 2018 to fulfil its election promise to allow bigger retailers in metropolitan Adelaide the same flexible trading hours afforded to smaller independent stores and those operating in regional SA.
But the Government does not have the numbers in the Upper House, and with Labor, the Greens and SA Best tipped to vote against the bill, at least one trader is not waiting for any orders to comply.
Goodwood IGA manager Joanne Wall said the owner, who bought the store less than two years ago and had since spent about $120,000 on renovations, chose to be compliant once the audit revealed the store was slightly oversized.
The store voluntarily restricted its opening hours, which has resulted in a loss of shifts for casual staff — mainly students — while it works to reduce the store's floorspace by one aisle.
"We're trying to work through it as quickly as possible because obviously losing 14 hours' trade per week is a huge loss," Ms Wall said.
"It's just a safe move on our behalf, but I think after the store has been trading like this for 20 to 25 years and it's just come to light now that they've decided to check all the stores for size, it's a bit of a cliche."
Audit of independent stores a 'witch hunt'
Outside the Goodwood IGA a number of posters have been put up by local activists pushing against deregulation.
The store is the hub for a popular strip of independent stores, including a multi-award-winning butcher shop and an independent bottle shop that is expecting to face a loss of business if IGA's extended weekend hours are not restored.
SA Independent Retailers chief executive Colin Shearing described the audit as a "witch hunt" and said a number Romeo's and Drakes supermarkets had also been affected.
"It seems strange that they want to deregulate but they want to regulate the hours of shopping."
He said it was up to individual businesses to comply with the law but warned the Goodwood strip would "fall" if Adelaide's shopping hours were deregulated.
"You won't have that bottle shop, that supermarket, that butcher or newsagent," Mr Shearing said.
"It will all go to Cumberland Park, or to the city, or another major shopping centre."
Number of oversized stores hard to discern
Mr Lucas said the actual number of deregulated stores larger than 400 square metres was difficult to nail down because lawyers were arguing the floorspace calculation should exclude entrances, trolley storage and other compartment areas.
"We only audited the stores that came to our attention through public advertising that they were trading outside the hours," he said.
"Five to 10 appear to be clearly oversized."
Mr Lucas said the Goodwood IGA was the only store he was aware of that had voluntarily reduced its hours following the audit.
"We're trying to allow them to trade when they want to," he said.
"They want to trade earlier on Sunday mornings, later on weekend nights, on public holidays, and we want to support them.
"But they and their association are the ones actually campaigning to defeat the legislation."
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