Cleethorpes MP Martin Vickers has outlined his support for retaining the existing Sunday trading regulations in a visit to a SPAR store in Humberston operated by Blakemore Retail.
During the visit, staff members and SPAR representatives raised concerns about the impact that longer opening hours for larger stores on Sundays would have on their business, as well as other issues such as the incoming National Living Wage and the devolution of business rate setting powers to local authorities. Mr Vickers has previously spoke up in Parliament about the plans to remove Sunday trading hours, suggesting that the plans be scrapped.
Martin Vickers MP said: “Sunday trading has always been contentious. We have a perfectly satisfactory compromise at the moment. I have never received any request from a constituent requesting a change that would allow the big stores to open for more than the current 6 hours. We all value and benefit from our local convenience stores and any proposal that makes it even more challenging for them to compete with the retail giants needs to be resisted.”
“Society as a whole benefits from having at least one day in the week that is, at least, a little quieter than others, allowing shop workers to spend time with their families.”
ACS chief executive James Lowman said: “The proposed changes to Sunday trading legislation will be extremely worrying for retailers across the country. By allowing larger stores to open later on a Sunday, the government will force many stores like this one to make tough decisions about their future. We are pleased that Mr Vickers supports the existing Sunday trading regulations along with many other Conservative MPs and over two thirds of the British public, and we will continue to make the case to Government that these plans should be scrapped.”
Barry Wallis, SPAR Retail Development and Regulatory Affairs Controller said: “The store visit gave Martin Vickers an opportunity to hear about the challenges currently being faced by our independent SPAR convenience retailers. We spoke about how concerned we are with the possible change to the Sunday trading legislation and how it would take away trade from small convenience stores in favour of large out of town retailers making many shops become unviable. It was stressed to Martin that by adding other economic demands currently incurred by independent small store owners, like the increasing costs of business rates and the introduction of the National Living Wage, would detrimentally affect the profitability of independent convenience businesses and lead to the loss of jobs in many communities.”
More information about the campaign to retain the existing Sunday trading regulations is available at www.keepsundayspecial.org.uk.
