The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is currently reviewing the law on Sunday trading.
- The current position
- Shop opening hours are restricted under the Sunday Trading Act 1994 and the Christmas Day (Trading) Act 2004 as follows:
- Small shops (under 280 square metres/3,000 square feet)
- no restrictions
- Large shops (over 280 square metres/3,000 square feet)
- Monday to Saturday – no restrictions
- Sunday – opening for 6 hours only between 10.00 am and 6.00pm
- Easter Sunday – closed
- Christmas Day – closed
- notice specifying the permitted Sunday opening hours of a large shop must be displayed conspicuously both inside and outside the shop
- The following large shops are exempt from the above restrictions:
- shops that sell only or mainly alcohol
- shops in airports and rail stations
- shops at service stations
- pharmacies that sell only medicinal products and medical and surgical appliances
- shops on a farm that sell mainly their own products
- shops that sell only or mainly motor or bicycle supplies and accessories
- shops that only supply goods to aircraft or sea-going vessels on arrival at/departure from a port, harbour or airport
- exhibition stands selling goods
- shops observing the Jewish Sabbath, where the required notice has been given to the local authority
- Penalties for contravention of the Sunday trading legislation include the following:
- a fine of up to £50,000,000 for the occupier of a shop which opens outside of permitted opening hours
- a fine of up to £500 for the occupier of a shop which fails to display the required notices of opening hours
- There are special rules governing Sunday working in shops, a summary of which can be found on the DTI website at http://www.dti.gov.uk/er/individual/sunday-pl960.htm
- What happens next?
- The DTI has commissioned an independent research study and has also written to a number of organisations, groups and retails asking for their views on Sunday trading
- Consumers, religious groups, employees and businesses were invited to submit any further views to the DTI by 14 April 2006
- The DTI will publish the results of research study and review the submissions in due course
- Further information is available at http://www.dti.gov.uk/ccp/topics1/sunday_trading.htm
AprilSunday Trading 2006
