Press Release
Retailers should determine when they are open says Chamber of Commerce
Halifax, NS, August 28, 2007— The Halifax Chamber of Commerce believes the retailers should determine when they are open and not ask the Government to make the decision for them.
“Since our initial fight for Sunday shopping in 20 we’ve always believed businesses should let the market dictate when they should be open,” says Valerie Payn, President of the Halifax Chamber of Commerce. “This means that customers will determine when they want to be served, and retailers know their customers best. “
The Chamber feels businesses should be responding to the needs of consumers, not those seeking to regulate the retail industry. “Retailers should be available to their customers when they want to shop, and holidays should be no exception,” says Payn. “If the potential for business is there, then retailers should be there to open. ”
“The retail market is not only a free market it is a democracy. Consumers vote with their wallets every day and if a substantial number of them don’t want to shop on Saint Swithens day they won’t and I can assure you that no store will stay open for long if there are no customers.”
“We are not saying that stores should be open 24/7, but we do object to government regulation of what should be a purely business decision,” says Payn, “Therefore businesses need to show leadership by balancing the interests of consumers; employees; small business and other key stakeholders to once and for all develop a set of agreed upon guidelines for when they should be open and when they should be closed.”
“If there is some role for the Chamber of Commerce to play in this process, perhaps as a convener or facilitator, I am open to that.”
“Less than two years ago people doubted a market existed for Sunday shopping, but try to get through the crowds at a mall or downtown,” continues Payn, “Consumers want stores be open.”
The Chamber has long supported the deregulation of retail hours, stating that businesses should have a choice to set their own hours, and statutory holidays should be no exception. Any decisions further restricting the where and when of retail hours is only taking steps backwards in the Sunday shopping debate.
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For more information please contact:
Janet Creamer
Communications Coordinator, Halifax Chamber of Commerce
(902) 481-1240


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