Should Sunday opening restrictions be loosened in the UK? We ask an expert

theguardian.com:

Every so often the question is raised: are Sunday trading laws too restrictive? They were briefly loosened in 2012, for the Olympic Games, but Tory plans to change the rules failed in 2016 and 2020. I asked James Lowman, CEO of the Association of Convenience Stores, about it.

What are the Sunday trading rules? Since 1994, in England and Wales, a store over 3,000 sq feet (280 sq metres) – roughly the size of a doubles tennis court – can open for only six consecutive hours on a Sunday between 10am and 6pm.

And Scotland? There aren’t any restrictions, yet most shops still have different Sunday hours.

Oh, interesting! If people don’t want to shop on a Sunday, then you wouldn’t spend money staying open. There’s a bunch of factors. In 1994, the main concerns were: what is the right balance for shop workers, what do Sunday hours mean for family life and having a day that is not like the others? There were religious considerations, but fewer than is made out.

I got talking about opening hours at my in-laws and let’s just say I haven’t seen such a split opinion since Brexit. When we speak to consumers, there’s support for the rules. But people who don’t like the rules are split between those who say opening stores at all on Sunday is wrong, and those who say shops should be able to open 24/7. Large retailers overall seem happy, as it’s understood that potential revenue from longer opening ends up being spread across the week anyway.

Makes sense – longer hourswouldn’t mean people suddenly have more money. What about workers? I know the shop workers’ union is opposed. It comes back to this idea of a day that’s not like the others. That feeds into pay awards – there are still overtime bonuses for Sundays in many stores – and the fact