Easter shop trading: Easter Sunday

The Department of Labour visited 23 retailers throughout the country yesterday to check compliance with shop trading legislation.

Of the 23 retailers, 19 were observed to be open and trading.

In the northern region (Northland and Auckland) 10 of 13 shops visited (all in the Auckland area) were observed open and trading. In the Waikato/Eastern region four out of four (one each in Hamilton, Tauranga, Napier and Hastings) were observed open and trading.

Four visits were made in the central region – one in Palmerston North and three in Wellington. All three in Wellington were observed open and trading.

Inspectors made two visits in the South Island. Both were observed open and trading.

Inspectors will file reports of each visit before decisions on further action are made. Because prosecutions are still to be considered, no further information on the identities of the retailers who were visited will be released at this time.

An amendment to the Shop Trading Hours Act Repeal Act 1990 passed in 2001 permits garden centres to open on Easter Sunday.