Supermarkets may open Saturdays
Woolworths supermarkets are likely to be open for Saturday 7 trading from next week-end, according to the firms director of supermarkets, Mr G. Evans.
Woolworths has an agreement with the unions that it will not start Saturday trading until after award negotiations are finalised at the end of next week. “We hope to open on November 29 and all other Saturdays before Christmas,” Mr Evans said. The move- is almost certain to cause instant reaction from the other chains. Mr B. Johnstone, sales manager of Supervalue, said that to the best of his knowledge none of his firm’s shops would open but if any other big chain contemplated Saturday
trading Supervalue would follow. “We do not want to be the first, but we cannot afford to let a competitor get a lead on us,” Mr Johnstone said. Saturday shopping in central Christchurch will be restricted to the smaller shops. “I have approached all the main shops in the city and they are not opening,” said Mr J. H. Willis, president of the CanterburyWestland Retailers’ Association. “The reaction among smaller businesses has been much greater than expected, but it has been
a bad year and you cannot blame retailers for trying to capture the Christmas dollar. “I think we will have to wait until well into the New Year to see which way Saturday trading is going to go,” Mr Willis said. Most of the shops in the Riccarton, Hornby, and Northlands malls will be closed, but several of the 42 shops at Merivale Mall will be open. Many of the smaller city businesses will open, including shops in Chancery Lane. Employees not wanting to work on Saturdays are
protected by a settlement reached on Thursday evening between the Shop Employees’ Union and the retailers. “This protection clause leaves the right to work on Saturdays up to the individual,” said the advocate for the Retailers’ Federation, Mr C. Mclnnes. Unions now had no power of veto over Saturday trading. The conciliation council will meet again in six months to review Thursday’s settlement and propose any changes deemed desirable. Details of agreement, Page 3.
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Press, 22 November 1980, Page 1
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356Supermarkets may open Saturdays Press, 22 November 1980, Page 1
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