To shop or not to shop?
Whanganui largely closed for business again on Easter Sunday
Whanganui shops will not be open on Easter Sunday, although most nearby councils let business owners choose whether to open stores.
Easter Sunday is not a public holiday but it is a restricted trading day, so it can be a confusing grey area for customers.
Dairies, petrol stations, pharmacies, restaurants or cafes, hairdressers and barbers are able to open, as well as farmers and craft markets.
Other shops are only permitted to open if they have an area exemption.
In 2016, the Shop Trading Hours Act 1990 was amended to enable councils to have local policies for shops within their area.
Whanganui District Council does not have a policy in place, meaning most shops will be closed on Easter Sunday.
Whanganui Mayor Andrew Tripe said he thought there was nothing wrong with shops shutting their doors a few times a year.
“We’ve had this slow creep up over the years of seeing shops and supermarkets open 365 days of the year or as much as they can.
“I think we’ve gone too far on that pendulum and we need to preserve the sanctity of Christmas and Easter, as well as other holiday days.”
Rather than rushing off to shop, people could take the time to slow down, spend time with family and friends and see more of Whanganui, Tripe said.
In February 2018, Ruapehu District Council changed its policy to allow businesses to choose whether to open on Easter Sunday.
Ruapehu Mayor Weston Kirton said there was an obvious need and desire from some shop owners.
“I guess there’s mixed feelings because some people want to have that time off, or are Christians, so there’s a whole raft of reasons why some might choose not to open.”
For establishments such as cafes and supermarkets, Easter was a profitable time due to the busy traffic
going through the region, Kirton said. In December 2021, Rangitīkei District Council chose to allow trading on Easter Sundays and will review this after five years.
Rangitīkei Mayor Andy Watson said if employers forced staff to work when they would prefer not to on Easter Sunday then it would cause issues.
“They should absolutely have the right to say to their employers, ‘I don’t want to work this weekend’.”
Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment Labour Inspectorate head of compliance and enforcement Simon Humphries said employees had the right to refuse to work on Easter Sunday without giving a reason. “This applies to all shop employees, including those working in shops that are exempt from shopping restrictions, such as dairies and petrol stations.”
South Taranaki Mayor Phil Nixon said South Taranaki District Council had decided businesses needed to make the decision for themselves.
“We as a council aren’t here to tell them whether they should or shouldn’t.”
Nixon said it might be better for consumers if the decision about trading hours was made by central government rather than individual councils.
Tripe said he supported letting communities decide what they wanted for themselves rather than central government.
“The key thing is, the world’s not going to end if a shop or two isn’t open.”
Retail NZ chief executive Carolyn Young said restrictions on Easter trading were increasingly outdated in 2024.
“Consumers are able to shop online without restrictions on any day of the year at any time,” Young said. “The restrictions the Shop Trading Hours Act places on bricksand-mortar stores are confusing, inconsistent and not responsive to the 2024 environment.”
Word on the street
Among people out and about on Whanganui’s Victoria Ave, there was a mixture of views on whether shops should open this Sunday.
Lanscella Sue said it would be better for businesses if they were allowed to open.
“I think people should have their own choice whether they want to, and it should be down to them to decide,” Sue said.
Janet Macdonell said she thought the rules were a bit odd at the moment.
“I think they’d be better to just move to you’re all open or you’re not
open, but that becomes difficult for staff and employers especially with the Sunday being a religious holiday,” Macdonell said.
Robert Walker said he did not think all shops should be open at Easter.
“It depends on what the shop is, maybe just supermarkets, but not all shops,” Walker said. “A lot of times families miss out on spending time with each other because they’re at work, so unless people are hungry and needing food from supermarkets [shops should close].”
Gary Sue said shops faced a lot of competition and there were also increased staff costs for employers opening on public holidays.
“It should be their choice at the end of the day,” Sue said.
“It’s 24/7 shopping and everybody needs to keep the business going and you can only do that when you’re open.”
Natasha Bozic said shop owners should get the final say.
“Not everyone’s religious these days so I definitely think it should be their choice,” Bozic said.
David Mui said he thought it should be up to the discretion of the owner and workers.
“When I was a student, come Easter time, I didn’t really feel the need for a break — sometimes I do, but it’d be nice to have the choice to work if I wanted to,” Mui said.
Liquor sale laws
Rules about alcohol being sold on Easter Sunday are dictated by the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012.
Liquor stores and off-licence premises are not permitted to open on Easter Sunday, but there is an exception for wineries or venues that produce alcohol on their premises.
For on-licence sites such as bars and restaurants, only people dining on the premises can be served alcohol.
People residing or lodging at onlicence premises, such as at hotels, can also be served alcohol.