Sunday Trading
Following the introduction of the Sunday Trading Act in 1994 there have been no restrictions on shopping hours – with the exception of Sundays. All shops are now able to open without restrictions between Monday and Saturday.Restrictions on opening times on Sundays are confined to large shops which are defined under the Act as those having an internal sales area of over 280m2. The critical consideration is the floor area definition, which is clarified as meaning the part of the shop within a building that is used for display of goods and customer services.
Large shops, other than those which are exempted by the Act itself, must:
- specify the six hours of trading on a Sunday, which must be between the hours of 10.00 to 18.00, and
- provide a sign visible both internally and externally specifying the times of trading
They are required to remain closed on Easter Sunday (and on Christmas Day when it falls on a Sunday).
Small shops are not covered by these restrictions and can open freely. The Sunday Trading Act 1994 also includes specific measures to protect the rights of shop workers who do not wish to work on Sunday.
Apart from the restrictions mentioned above, it is left to individual owners to determine their opening hours in the light of customer demand.
You can contact the Health and Safety Team by clicking the link below.
