Extended hours for big stores

MAJOR shopping centres and discount department stores will open earlier and close later across Townsville today and tomorrow.

The big four shopping centres in Townsville have confirmed retailers will start extended trading hours.

The new trading hours were allowed after State Parliament voted through new regulations last month.

Many major stores will trade for an extra half an hour on Saturdays, now closing at 6pm.

The big retailers will also open two hours earlier on Sundays, now opening at 9am.

Malcolm Miller, centre manager at Stockland Townsville Shopping Centre, said the changes to weekend trading hours for major supermarkets, department and discount department stores were welcome.

“From this weekend Woolworths, Coles, Myer, Big W and Kmart at Stockland Townsville are able to extend their weekend trad- ing hours to the following: Saturday 8am to 6pm and Sunday 9am to 6pm.”

He said Stockland’s core trading hours would remain the same: Saturday 9am to 4pm, Sunday 11am to 4pm.

Kmart Australia Queensland Operations Manager Joel Delaney said Kmart Townsville and Kmart Fairfield Central would have extended hours, closing at 6pm Saturday and opening at 9am Sunday.

A Woolworths spokesman welcomed the new trading hours, and Dexus regional property manager Andrew Stallan also confirmed the hours at Willows Shopping Centre for Woolworths and Coles, Target and Big W.

“Our Sunday markets will continue to trade in their current location from 7.30 to 11.30am,” he said.

A spokeswoman for CastleTown confirmed new trading hours of some major retailers from 8am to 6pm on Saturdays and 9am to 6pm on Sundays.