Grocer Waitrose has handed its staff an early Christmas present by distancing itself from the big supermarkets calling for an extension to trading hours on the final Sunday before December 25.
The chief executives of Asda and Morrisons have written to the business minister Michael Fallon, calling for Sunday trading laws to be relaxed on December 23 to avoid a stampede of panic-buying among shoppers, as they were during the Olympics and Paralympics.
Under existing legislation, stores larger than 3000 square feet can only trade for a maximum of six hours on a Sunday, although they can open for an extra hour of “browsing time” outside of these restrictions.
Rob Collins, Waitrose’s retail director, said: “We’re not among those campaigning for an extension to Sunday trading hours on December 23.”
This contrasts sharply with Dalton Philips, the boss of Morrisons, who said last week: “I am very supportive in general of Sunday trading hours but this [no relaxation on 23rd] is madness”.
The grocer, owned by the John Lewis Partnership, posted a 6.7% rise in sales to £116 million over the week to November 24. It was boosted by a 38% surge in sparkling wine sales, as consumers got into the “Christmas spirit early”.
