Supermarket giant Woolworths set to open state’s first 24-hour store in the Brisbane Airport precinct

Kelmeny Fraser
June 16, 2013
The Sunday Mail

SUPERMARKET giant Woolworths will push the boundaries of Queensland’s “outdated” trading hours regime by circumventing state rules to open its first 24-hour operation in the state.

It would be the first time a major supermarket in Queensland will skirt state rules limiting round-the-clock trading to small corner stores and petrol stations.

The major retailer will be trading 24 hours a day at its supermarket at the Brisbane Airport Corporation’s Skygate precinct from July.

It will only be possible because the Airport Drive shopping centre is built on Federal Government-owned land leased by BAC, excluding it from state trading hour restrictions.

The 24-hour operation is expected to be used to push the case for the Newman Government to deregulate trading hours in Queensland by proving there is demand for 24-7 grocery shopping.

Woolworths state manager Michael Batycki said the company believed 24-hour operations would succeed at several other sites in Queensland.

“There are stores in other states that are operating 24 hours and successfully doing that and a great number of stores operating from 6am to midnight,” Mr Batycki said.

He said if customers responded strongly to 24-hour trading, it could spark talks with the government.

“There’s a large number of people that work a variety of shifts and the old nine-to-five working hours is not really the norm these days.”

Retailers must currently plead their case for extended trading hours in the independent Queensland Industrial Relations Commission.

A Queensland Competition Authority report in March on red tape reduction initiatives identified trading-hour restrictions as one of 10 “fast-track reform” priorities for the Newman Government, estimating it could add an extra $200 million a year to the economy.

Attorney-General Jarrod Bleijie said the current system was “fair and independent”, but stopped short of shutting the door on reform.

“Any move to deregulate trading hours will need a more considered and deliberative review, with a thorough consultation process,” he said.

Retail lobby group the National Retail Association yesterday blasted the Queensland system as “outdated” and overly complicated.

“There is a huge amount of confusion about trading hours, not just because there are 50 different zones around Queensland all with different rules, but also because we have a massively changed population now,” NRA executive director Trevor Evans said.

Master Grocers, which represents Spar, IGA and Friendly Grocers, has vowed to fight any push for relaxed trading hours.