SDA Branch Secretary, Chris Gazenbeek, said today that “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 Queensland Industrial Relations Commission allowed all retailers to open their doors 24/7 during the Commonwealth Games.

The media reported and interviewed many retailers who said that the Commonwealth Games was a financial disaster and trading was far below expectations. The Games Organising Committee told retailers that the Games would be a financial windfall yet proved to be a financial disaster.

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.

Mr Gazenbeek stated that “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.

Mr Gazenbeek also said that “the ReachTel survey results reinforced the surveys the SDA conducted with its own membership.

“Members confirmed that the 24/7 hour trade was a financial disaster with no net benefit to the retailers. 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.

“I have no doubt that Queenslanders have voted overwhelmingly to reject 24/7 trading and it should now be thrown in the scrapheap where it belongs”.

Media contact: Kerri Alexander 0400 792 367