Easter shopping

There has now been time to reflect on this year’s shop trading policy and results for Anzac Day and

Easter Sunday. Shops close on Anzac Day morning under a nationwide policy but since 2017 the Government has allowed local bodies to open shops all of Easter Sunday. If they do not, cafes/ restaurants/fuel stations/dairies/ garden centres are exempt from closure .

Since 2018 the Timaru District Council has allowed shops to open. This puts Timaru out of step with the neighbouring councils of Ashburton, Waimate and Waitaki and with the major city councils including Auckland, Hamilton, Wellington, Nelson, Christchurch and Dunedin that close shops apart from the exemptions.

After a long worthy tradition of South Canterbury shops being closed on Easter Sunday, the Timaru District Council from 2018 has been showing no reverence for the Risen Christ while showing due reverence for dead soldiers via its shopping policy.

This should not be happening because of the district’s substantial Christian heritage. Christianity is still by far the major religion in South Canterbury. Christmas and Easter still dominate the annual holiday and retail seasons.

Dunedin experimented with Easter Sunday shopping in 2018 but changed back to traditional values after one year. Timaru District should change back too on an evidence-based approach showing that the great majority of retailers do not open on Easter Sunday.

On this day in 2018, 2019 and 2022 I observed the shopping areas in South Canterbury in the midday period. Regardless of varying weather the result was the same: most shops in Timaru were closed. There was only a minor amount of foot traffic on the main street. Even the Temuka supermarket was closed. This means trading was not seen to be worthwhile or desirable from a retailer/customer/staff point of view.

There is much more to do in South Canterbury than shop on Easter Sunday. With cafes and fuel stations open, tourists are well serviced. Surely no-one needs to buy a shirt or shoes on such a day. Retailers should focus on maximising sales on two days of Easter rather than spread their efforts over three days with associated costs .

I aim to consult with the Christian Ministers Association of South Canterbury and retailer representatives on the desirability of taking a new win-win approach to the Timaru District Council to change observance of Easter Sunday back to traditional reverence in the public interest.

Roger Payne Orari