Sunday shopping: Difference between revisions - Wikipedia

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By 1994, Sunday trading in [[England and Wales]] was not generally permitted. This meant that shops such as [[department store]]s and supermarkets were not able to open legally. A number of specialist outlets were able to open legally, including [[garden centre]]s, small "corner" or family-run shops, and [[Dispensing chemist|chemist]]s. An earlier attempt by [[Margaret Thatcher]]'s government to allow Sunday shopping in 1986 was defeated in [[Parliament of the United Kingdom|Parliament]], with opposition coming from [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]] MPs who saw it as a threat to family life and church attendance, and [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]] MPs who were concerned about workers' rights. This led to the formation of the [[Keep Sunday Special]] campaign, backed by church groups and [[USDAW]], the trade union representing shop workers.

Several large retailers challenged the legal ruling in force, beforewith 1994 bysome opening on Sundays (orfrom simplyChristmas ignored1991 them,onwards since the fines were far lower than their Sunday profits),<ref>{{cite web|url=http://archive.catholicherald.co.uk/article/28th-december-1990/4/the-case-for-sunday-trading|title=The Catholic Herald: The Debate for Sunday Trading|access-date=2012-10-06}}</ref><ref>Hansard and thehttps://edm.parliament.uk/early-day-motion/4845</ref> outcomeThis wasled thatto the [[Sunday Trading Act 1994]] permitted "large shops" &ndash; those with a "relevant floor area" in excess of {{convert|280|m2|ft2|abbr=on}}<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1994/20/schedule/1/data.htm|title=Sunday Trading Act 1994|website=legislation.gov.uk}}</ref> &ndash; to open for up to six hours on Sunday between the hours of 10&nbsp;am and 6&nbsp;pm. Small shops, those with an area of below 280&nbsp;m², are free to set their own Sunday trading times.<ref name=THFR>{{cite web|url=https://www.gov.uk/trading-hours-for-retailers-the-law|title=Trading hours for retailers: the law|website=GOV.UK}}</ref>

However, some large shops, such as [[off-licence]]s, service stations and garages, are exempt from the restrictions.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.businesslink.gov.uk/bdotg/action/detail?itemId=1073792286&r.i=1073792285&r.l1=1073861169&r.l2=1074400662&r.l3=1074014065&r.t=RESOURCES&type=RESOURCES|title=Business Link: Large shops which are exempt from Sunday trading rules}}</ref> Christmas Day and [[Easter Sunday]] have been excluded as trading days. This applies even to garden centres, which earlier had been trading over Easter, but not to small shops (those with an area of below 280 square metres).<ref name=THFR/> In 2006, the government considered further relaxation of the permitted hours of business but decided that there was no consensus for change, although a popular poll indicated differently.<ref>{{cite news