Sunday Trading Act 1994
Encyclopedia
The Sunday Trading Act 1994 is an Act of Parliament
in the United Kingdom
governing the right of shops
in England and Wales
to trade on a Sunday. Buying and selling on Sunday had previously been illegal, with exceptions, under the Shops Act 1950.
Following the defeat of the Shops Bill 1986
, which would have enabled widespread Sunday trading, compromise legislation was introduced in July 1994 in England and Wales
, coming into force on 28 August 1994, allowing shops to open, but restricting opening times of larger stores i.e. those over 280 m² (3,013.9 sq ft) to a maximum of six hours, between 10am and 6pm only. Large retail park shops usually open 11am-5pm, with supermarkets more usually choosing 10am-4pm. In central London
, for example on Oxford Street
, many shops choose to open from midday to 6pm. This includes large 24-hour supermarkets, which meant that supermarkets have to close on Saturday night to allow six continuous hour shopping within an allotted time.
However, some of the stores open half an hour earlier to allow people to "browse", but would not allow sales before the allotted time. Deliveries to the large stores are not permitted to be loaded or unloaded before 9am. Large shops were excluded from opening on Easter Sunday and Christmas Day (when it fell on a Sunday), but the Christmas Day (Trading) Act 2004
made it illegal for large shops to open on Christmas Day whichever day of the week it fell on.
Shops in Scotland
, where Sunday trading was already fully deregulated, retained the right to open at any time. However the right for workers in Scotland to refuse to work on a Sunday was later conferred by the Sunday Working (Scotland) Act 2003
. Northern Ireland
has separate laws governing Sunday opening.
The Sunday Trading Bill had met with considerable opposition from the Lord's Day Observance Society
and other groups such as the Keep Sunday Special Campaign, a coalition body which includes the shopworkers' trade union
USDAW. USDAW finally agreed to support 6 hour Sunday trading in return for a promise that Sunday working would be strictly voluntary and premium pay would be offered. This decision played an important role in encouraging many Labour MPs to back the bill in a free vote.
Small shops with a floor area of under and up to 280 square metres (3,000 square feet) may open if they wish to.
Act of Parliament
An Act of Parliament is a statute enacted as primary legislation by a national or sub-national parliament. In the Republic of Ireland the term Act of the Oireachtas is used, and in the United States the term Act of Congress is used.In Commonwealth countries, the term is used both in a narrow...
in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
governing the right of shops
Retailing
Retail consists of the sale of physical goods or merchandise from a fixed location, such as a department store, boutique or kiosk, or by mail, in small or individual lots for direct consumption by the purchaser. Retailing may include subordinated services, such as delivery. Purchasers may be...
in England and Wales
England and Wales
England and Wales is a jurisdiction within the United Kingdom. It consists of England and Wales, two of the four countries of the United Kingdom...
to trade on a Sunday. Buying and selling on Sunday had previously been illegal, with exceptions, under the Shops Act 1950.
Following the defeat of the Shops Bill 1986
Shops Bill 1986
The Shops Bill 1986 was a parliamentary bill in the United Kingdom that would have ended government regulation of Sunday shopping in England and Wales...
, which would have enabled widespread Sunday trading, compromise legislation was introduced in July 1994 in England and Wales
England and Wales
England and Wales is a jurisdiction within the United Kingdom. It consists of England and Wales, two of the four countries of the United Kingdom...
, coming into force on 28 August 1994, allowing shops to open, but restricting opening times of larger stores i.e. those over 280 m² (3,013.9 sq ft) to a maximum of six hours, between 10am and 6pm only. Large retail park shops usually open 11am-5pm, with supermarkets more usually choosing 10am-4pm. In central London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, for example on Oxford Street
Oxford Street
Oxford Street is a major thoroughfare in the City of Westminster in the West End of London, United Kingdom. It is Europe's busiest shopping street, as well as its most dense, and currently has approximately 300 shops. The street was formerly part of the London-Oxford road which began at Newgate,...
, many shops choose to open from midday to 6pm. This includes large 24-hour supermarkets, which meant that supermarkets have to close on Saturday night to allow six continuous hour shopping within an allotted time.
However, some of the stores open half an hour earlier to allow people to "browse", but would not allow sales before the allotted time. Deliveries to the large stores are not permitted to be loaded or unloaded before 9am. Large shops were excluded from opening on Easter Sunday and Christmas Day (when it fell on a Sunday), but the Christmas Day (Trading) Act 2004
Christmas Day (Trading) Act 2004
The Christmas Day Act 2004 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It prevents shops over 280 m²/3,000 sq ft from opening on Christmas Day in England and Wales...
made it illegal for large shops to open on Christmas Day whichever day of the week it fell on.
Shops in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, where Sunday trading was already fully deregulated, retained the right to open at any time. However the right for workers in Scotland to refuse to work on a Sunday was later conferred by the Sunday Working (Scotland) Act 2003
Sunday Working (Scotland) Act 2003
The Sunday Working Act 2003 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The aim of the Act was to close an anomaly in employment law in the United Kingdom, whereby shopworkers in England and Wales had the legal right to refuse to work on a Sunday, when shopworkers in Scotland did not enjoy...
. Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
has separate laws governing Sunday opening.
The Sunday Trading Bill had met with considerable opposition from the Lord's Day Observance Society
Lord's Day Observance Society
Day One Christian Ministries is a Christian organisation based in the United Kingdom that lobbies for no work on Sunday, the day that many Christians celebrate as the Sabbath, a day of rest — a position based on the fourth of the Ten Commandments.Originally founded in 1831 as the Lord's Day...
and other groups such as the Keep Sunday Special Campaign, a coalition body which includes the shopworkers' trade union
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
USDAW. USDAW finally agreed to support 6 hour Sunday trading in return for a promise that Sunday working would be strictly voluntary and premium pay would be offered. This decision played an important role in encouraging many Labour MPs to back the bill in a free vote.
Exemptions
Some categories of large shop are exempt from the Sunday Trading Act 1994:- Airport shops
- Chemists
- Goods from exhibitions stalls
- Farm shops that sell their own produce
- Petrol filling stations
- Railway stations
- Motorway service stations were excluded from the act
Small shops with a floor area of under and up to 280 square metres (3,000 square feet) may open if they wish to.
See also
- Sunday trading
- Keep Sunday SpecialKeep Sunday SpecialKeep Sunday Special is a British campaign group set up in 1985 by Dr Michael Schluter CBE to oppose plans to introduce Sunday trading in England and Wales...
- Blue lawBlue lawA blue law is a type of law, typically found in the United States and, formerly, in Canada, designed to enforce religious standards, particularly the observance of Sunday as a day of worship or rest, and a restriction on Sunday shopping...
(US and Canada) - Sabbatarianism