Sunday shopping
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Sunday shopping refers to the ability of retailers to operate stores on Sundays, in countries where Christian tradition typically requires a "day of rest". Rules governing shopping hours, such as Sunday shopping, vary around the world but most European nations continue to not allow Sunday shopping, although it has been introduced in the Netherlands and Sweden.
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Canada
In 1982, the Supreme Court of Canada upheld the Lord's Day Act. However, at that time, only the Canadian Bill of Rights existed. That document only protected existing Canadian rights. As a result, the Court noted that Canada was an overwhelmingly Christian country that had accepted Sunday closing laws for years. The Court determined that the Lord's Day Act did not force people to practise Christianity or stop practising their own religion.
However, later that year, the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms was introduced, ensuring freedom of conscience and religion, regardless of existing federal or provincial laws. On April 24, 1985 - the Supreme Court of Canada ruled that the Lord's Day Act violated Canadians' freedom of religion. The 1985 ruling examined the original purpose of the act. It found that the Christian value of keeping the Sabbath holy had been incorporated into a law that affected all Canadians, Christian or not. This law -- the Lord's Day Act -- prevented non-Christians from performing otherwise legal activities on Sundays. This was inconsistent with the Canadian charter.
Nova Scotia is the only Canadian province that still prohibits Sunday shopping. It did experiment with the practice in 2003, and in 2004 held binding plebiscite. Results from the plebiscite were 45% in favour of Sunday shopping and 55% voting against it. Nova Scotia's Retail Business Uniform Closing Day Act allows some stores, such as video rental outlets and book stores, to open on Sundays, but department stores must remain closed.
Several other provinces have restrictions of some degree on Sunday shopping: in Prince Edward Island, it is only permitted in the four weeks leading to Christmas; in Manitoba it requires municipal approval and it is only permitted for six hours each day; and in New Brunswick the decisions require dual approval from municipal and provincial officials (although that is in the process of being changed), otherwise it is only permitted from July to December. Quebec allows wide-open shopping until 5:00 pm, and the other provinces allow wide-open shopping all day on most Sundays (except when it falls on a holiday or when objected by municipalities).
United States
Many stores in the United States have reduced hours of operation on Sundays (most often 11 am or 12 noon to 5 or 6 pm), although the recent trend has led to expansion. A few local municipalities still prohibit Sunday shopping, and many others prohibit it until a certain time (most often 12 noon or 1 pm), especially in regard to selling alcohol.
One of the last major areas to completely prohibit Sunday shopping is Bergen County, New Jersey. This area contains one of the largest and most popular commercial shopping cores of the New York metropolitan area (for example, one of three local Ikea stores is found here, the store is the only one in the United States to be closed on Sunday). Ironically, the area is not considered to be particularly religious compared to the U.S. population at large; and it also has significant Jewish and Muslim populations whose observant members would not be celebrating the Sabbath on Sunday. But attempts to repeal the law have failed as many locals either like to keep the law on the books as a protest against the growing trend of increased Sunday shopping activity in American society or fear the potential increase of Sunday traffic on major local roads such as Rt. 4 or Rt. 17. Some local Orthodox Jews who are off both days of the weekend have complained about the law because it limits their ability to get shopping done on the weekend without having to travel to a neighboring county as religious beliefs prohibit shopping on Friday night or on Saturday before sunset, which in the summer can be right before most department stores and malls close.
Some stores are synonymous with being always open on Sunday and holidays. Two examples are L. L. Bean in Freeport, Maine, and Meijer in the Midwest. L. L. Bean is open 365 days a year, 24 hours a day; and Meijer is open 364 days a year (closed Christmas), 24 hours a day.
United Kingdom
Sunday trading in England and Wales was not generally permitted until 1994. This meant that shops such as department stores and supermarkets were not able to open legally. A number of specialist outlets were able to open legally, including garden centres, small "corner" or family run shops, and chemists.
An earlier attempt by Margaret Thatcher's government to allow Sunday shopping in 1986 was defeated in Parliament, with opposition coming from Conservative MPs who saw it as a threat to family life and church attendance, and 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 outlets challenged the legal ruling in force before 1994 by opening on Sundays, and the eventual outcome was that large stores are now able to open for up to 6 hours on Sunday between the hours of 10am and 6pm, in practice this means that they open from 10am to 4pm or 11am to 5pm or 12pm to 6pm. Supermarkets usually open from 10am-4pm, whereas most other businesses open (and close) later. Christmas Day and Easter Sunday have been excluded as trading days. This applies even to garden centres, which earlier had been trading over Easter. Details of the changes to the legislation are included in the Sunday Trading Act 1994. At the time of writing (Feb 2006) the government is looking into further relaxation of the permitted hours of business.
In Scotland, there was no specific legislation regarding Sunday trading, it being left to the discretion of local councils. Consequently, opening hours are longer than in England and Wales, and large supermarkets remain open '24-7'.In the Western Isles, where the Free Church of Scotland has a considerable following, until recently there has been virtually no commercial activity on Sundays. In many small towns and villages shops will still remain closed on Sunday. Unlike England and Wales there is no restriction on Easter Sunday opening and therefore this is a normal shopping day.
In Northern Ireland, Sunday shopping is regulated under the Sunday Trading (Northern Ireland) Order 1997. Opening hours are more limited, usually between 1pm and 6pm. This was to create a greater gap between Sunday services and the opening of large shops, in response to objections from churches, which have more influence than in the rest of the UK. Pubs were not allowed to open on Sunday in Northern Ireland until 1989.
Republic of Ireland
There has been no recent legislation regarding Sunday trading in the Republic of Ireland, which is regulated by the Shops (Hours of Trading) Act 1938.
This Act confers on the responsible minister the right to control trading, and also lays down certain types of business which are exempt, i.e. types of business can open on Sundays, but only for the sale of certain items. However, major supermarket chains open their branches throughout the Republic on Sundays usually from 10:00 to 19:00 hours in the larger cities and from 12 noon to 18:00 hours in the smaller centres.
Germany
In Germany, opening hours have long been restricted through the Ladenschlussgesetz. Traditionally, shops have closed for the weekend at 2pm on a Saturday and 6:30pm on weeknights, with opening until 4pm on Saturday only allowed once a month, in what was known as the Langer Samstag, or 'long Saturday', but shops now may open until 8pm from Monday to Saturday. In 2004, the Federal Constitutional Court ruled against lifting restrictions on Sunday opening, which is still confined to some small bakeries and convenience stores inside railway stations and airports. However, there are plans to let regional governments decide on opening times on weekdays instead of the federal government, although there is still strong resistance to Sunday shopping from churches and politicians.
Australia
As in Canada, the situation in Australia is not uniform, as each of its States and Territories has its own different laws. Historically, shops closed for the weekend on Saturday afternoons, with South Australia being the first state to allow Saturday afternoon opening. Most states now allow Sunday opening for up to seven hours a week, at least in metropolitan areas, but in Western Australia it was rejected in a referendum held in February 2005.
New Zealand
New Zealand, which banned trading on Saturday and Sunday completely between 1945 and 1980, liberalised shopping hours in 1989. Shops may open at any time, with the exception of Good Friday, ANZAC Day and Christmas Day. However, outside the main cities, shops still close for the weekend on Saturday afternoons.
Belgium
Belgium has practically no trading on a Sunday. On certain Sundays throughout the year trading is allowed, although this typically only takes place in places with high tourism.