24/7 Retail Trading is not supported by Queenslanders, is not driven by consumer demand and is a flawed strategy to increase jobs or hours of work for employees.

The National Retail Association representing the major retailers strongly supported the push for 24/7 trading during the Commonwealth Games. They promoted the notion that there would be a financial bonanza for retailers. They consequently sought and were subsequently given approval from the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission.

The Gold Coast retailers got caught up in the buzz and thought they would enjoy very strong trading over the two week period.

During the Games the media reported that retailers and restauranteurs had in fact less trade – not more.

After the Games, the SDA surveyed our Gold Coast members to get their observations on how the 24/7 trading went. Our members were very forthright and said very clearly that the 24/7 trading was a total flop.

Most stores cut back on their trading hours in the second week because you could hear a pin drop down the aisles of the stores. In fact, most store managers have told us ‘off the record’ that they only continued to trade beyond their normal trading hours because their head office had instructed them to do so.

ReachTel Survey

ReachTEL conducted a survey of 2,034 residents across the Local Government Area of Gold Coast between the 2nd and 3rd of May 2018.

Respondents were asked a series of questions including their shopping habits, the need for 24/7 retail trading and whether they would support paying higher prices for their shopping goods for the additional costs incurred for 24/7 day trading.

91.7% of those surveyed said that their shopping habits didn’t change or that they shopped less during the Games. Furthermore, 88.9% felt there was no need for shops to be open 24/7 during the Games and 76.8% of those surveyed felt that retailers did not benefit during the Games.

Most Queenslanders are struggling to make ends meet and it was not surprising that 80.5% of respondents in the ReachTel survey indicated that they would not support paying higher prices due to the additional costs incurred for 24/7 day trading.

The ReachTel survey further determined that 65.9% of those surveyed felt that retail trading hours had been extended substantially over the last two years and they believed that there was no need to increase retail trading hours for at least 10 years.

The future

The ReachTel survey results reinforced the surveys we conducted with our own membership. It is therefore not surprising that the additional trading hours during the Games was a total financial disaster.

Queenslanders have voted overwhelmingly to reject 24/7 trading and it should now be thrown in the scrapheap where it belongs.

Key Statistics:

• 91.7% of those surveyed said that their shopping habits didn’t change or that they shopped less during the Games.
• 88.9% felt there was no need for shops to be open 24/7 during the Games and 76.8% of those surveyed felt that retailers did not benefit during the Games.
• 80.5% of respondents in the ReachTel survey indicated that they would not support paying higher prices due to the additional costs incurred for 24/7 day trading
• 65.9% of those surveyed felt that retail trading hours had been extended substantially over the last two years and they believed that there was no need to increase retail trading hours for at least 10