Chamber rebuffs City over trading hours

Shops will boycott extended Christmas trading this year, rather than incur losses, according to the Mid West Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

The chamber, which represents 200 retailers, has rejected the City of Geraldton-Greenough’s trading hours for the festive season.

The City has decided on seven extensions for the Christmas and New Year period, including two Sunday trading days and late night shopping on the Monday to Thursday in the week before Christmas.

Chamber CEO Bill Headley said there was support for two Sundays but no need for late night shopping almost every night in the week before Christmas.

He said in reality shops would choose not to open because they would run at a loss.

“The market for it isn’t there and the cost for business owners is too high,” he said.

“There is pressure on business owners when there is not the turnover to cover costs. Traders would run at a loss.”

He said retailers believed Thursday late night trading, in place throughout the year in Geraldton, was adequate also at Christmas.

The Guardian contacted three stores at Centro Northgate, two of which were opposed to the plan.

Another was in favour, but would not comment publicly.

Mazzucchelli’s Jewellers manager Kristie DeLuca said there was a need for extended trading in the lead-up to Christmas, but only to a point.

Ms DeLuca said there was no need to open both Sundays, December 12 and 19, and on weeknights until 9pm in the week before Christmas, as proposed.

“We’re not the city, people don’t need that much extra time,” she said.

She said the City needed to consider the costs and needs of the business owners as well.

GJ’s Lottery Centre and News co-owner Kate Stone said her shop would not open the first Sunday of the extended trading period because it was unviable.

The store would open every other extended trading day, but with minimal staff because the cost of wages was too high.

She said the only stores that benefited from extended trading were large corporations and franchises.

Centro Northgate and Stirlings Centre manager Gary Bourne said Centro was comfortable with the City’s Christmas trading package.

He said both centres would open during the prescribed Christmas trading hours, but individual retailers were free to choose whether or not to open.

But while there was no pressure on retailers to open, he hoped they would take advantage of the additional hours.

The chamber’s position is at odds with City of Geraldton-Greenough economic development and marketing manager, Karen Godfrey, Mr Headley’s predecessor as Chamber CEO.

Ms Godfrey said the City had considered a number of views when deciding on the extended trading package.

This included recommendations from Minister for Commerce Bill Marmion, the Mid West Chamber of Commerce and Industry and local retailers.

She described the package as a happy compromise between all parties, which provided sufficient opportunities for residents to complete Christmas preparations.

Ms Godfrey said while the City encouraged all retailers to make the most of Christmas spending and open during the additional hours, the final decision was theirs.

“The City hopes the community will embrace the retail trading extensions, and that the additional opening hours assist residents to purchasing their Christmas presents locally rather than travelling to Perth,” she said.

Commenting on the recommendations of a study commissioned by the Chamber and prepared by Chris Rafanelli of Da Vinci Tiles, Mr Headley said Geraldton wasn’t mature enough for extended trading.

Among the report’s more bizarre findings the executive summary asked why Geraldton didn’t have a BMW Dealer, why it didn’t have an upmarket sailing shop selling striped sailing wear, more seafood restaurants showcasing local product at all price points and a European fine food importer with European cheeses and salamis.

The report called for more alfresco areas to be developed.

Mr Headley said allowing Coles and Woolworths to open on the weekend and at night would kill local businesses.

He said IGA would suffer immediately.

The report calls for the City and the Chamber to work together to bring vibrancy and create maturity in the market to sustain longer trading hours.

However, a spokesperson for the City said they were not sure yet how to respond to the report.

JESSICA MILLWARD