Paul Cheema wants to keep Sunday special. Not for religious reasons but, he says, to protect the livelihoods of his family and 60 staff.
Mr Cheema owns a Nisa branded convenience store in Coventry along with two other outlets and says allowing bigger shops to open longer hours on Sunday would damage independent retailers.
“It is daft. It might create some jobs in the big four supermarkets but it will cost jobs in convenience stores that support the local community. It will damage the high street,” he said.
Under current legislation smaller shops are allowed to open all day on Sunday, giving them a competitive advantage over their bigger rivals.
George Osborne, the chancellor, believes that changing the rules will provide a boost to retailers. In Wednesday’s Summer Budget the chancellor is expected to announce a consultation on whether to allow councils in bigger towns and cities to loosen Sunday trading restrictions.
He argues that, with 11 per cent of retail sales online, shops need to open longer to compete.
Laws introduced in 1994 overcame resistance from church groups, shopworkers and small retailers by limiting the opening hours of shops that were larger than 280 sq m to six hours.
The Association of Convenience Stores said it was a “popular compromise” and some shops would be unviable with increased competition on Sundays. At Mr Cheema’s outlet, Malcolm’s Stores, Sunday is the second busiest day after Friday.
James Lowman, chief executive of the ACS, said: “In areas where large stores’ trading hours are extended, we will simply see the same amount of trade spread over more hours and shifting from small stores to large stores, as was the case when the laws were suspended for the 2012 London Olympics, when overall retail sales actually fell.”
Unions also oppose the plans, saying they would put extra pressure on staff and disrupt family life. Usdaw, the shopworkers’ union, said it would “vigorously campaign” against any attempt to extend Sunday trading hours.
John Hannett, Usdaw’s general secretary, pointed out the government had already consulted twice on extending Sunday trading hours, and decided against the idea.
David Cameron, the prime minister, has carefully avoided backing any change.
Many big retailers have been reluctant to enter the debate but several have pushed for changes for many years. Asda, which vies with J Sainsbury to be the UK’s second largest supermarket chain by market share, is one. “It’s common sense to relax Sunday trading hours and the majority of our customers agree,” Andy Clarke, chief executive, said on Tuesday.
“Currently, customers pay more on Sunday evenings because they are forced to shop in small stores where prices are higher.”
The chief executive of one of Britain’s biggest supermarkets said it was “potentially good news” for the owners of such chains. However, he said allowing local mayors and councils to decide could be “a bit messy” as opening hours could vary in neighbouring towns.
Ian Geddes, UK head of retail at Deloitte, said: “It would be a move towards helping align physical retail closer to the services already provided online, which is open 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year.
“The majority of consumers will be buoyed by this prospect, as it will meet their demand for greater choice and convenience.”
However, he said retailers would have to manage the increased costs of opening longer hours.
The ACS said during the Olympic Games, sales fell 0.4 per cent overall, with some smaller retailers reporting declines of up to 20 per cent.
But Anna Soubry, business minister, disputed the figures, saying sales were up more than 2 per cent.
The Treasury cited a study by the New West End Company, representing more than 600 businesses in London, which found that two extra hours of Sunday trading could create almost 3,000 jobs in the capital and add more than £200m in extra annual sales there.
Scotland has already abolished restrictions on Sunday trading as have many European countries.
Dr Christos Genakos, of the London School of Economics, studied the impact of decisions to ease Sunday trading rules in 30 European countries between 1999 and 2013. He found the reforms boosted net employment by 7-9 per cent, because they spurred new entrants and higher headcounts in existing retailers.
“Sunday deregulation can be a powerful tool to reduce unemployment,” he concluded in a research paper published in March.
Some small shops back change. Faz Matador, who runs a newsagents’ near Piccadilly station in Manchester, said it would bring more people into the city centre. “It should be good for us,” he said. “If we are doing good business I’ll open even longer.”
Ms Soubry told BBC radio that Sunday was the “most miserable day of the week” when she was growing up.
“The only thing to look forward to was Sing Something Simple on the radio. Goodness me, if that didn’t sum up a miserable Sunday.”
Additional reporting by Kiran Stacey
