Large shops over 280 square metres in England and Wales may open for only six continuous hours between 10am and 6pm on Sundays under the Sunday Trading Act 1994. Small shops face no limits, Scotland has fully deregulated Sunday trading, and Northern Ireland restricts large shops to five hours from 1pm. The government confirmed in 2025 it has no current plans to change these rules.
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2 Opinions
Thing is, this doesn't stop consumerism, it just funnels desperate shoppers into tiny Express stores that price gouge on essentials. We don't live in a 9 to 5, Monday to Friday monoculture anymore. Telling nurses, carers, and factory workers that they can't buy a proper food shop after their shift on a Sunday is a bit archaic. Along with this we do need robust Sunday opt-out clauses in contracts and overtime pay. And, allow businesses themselves to decide if they want to open
Speaking selfishly, it's annoying after 4PM you can't go do a full shop!