Many retailers across New Zealand want the option to open over Easter, according to Retail NZ.
According to the national peak body, retailers have told them they want to decide whether they can open, not the local council or Government.
Retail NZ added that consumers have the ability to shop online at any time, while bricks and mortar stores have restrictions not aligned with the trading environment in 2025.
“It seems very inconsistent (and without good reason) that some stores can trade while others can not, simply because they are in a different council area” Retail NZ CEO Carolyn Young said.
“We believe retailers should have the choice if they want to open.”
The latest call out comes as a slim majority of local retailers (57 per cent) reported they did not meet sales targets for the first quarter of 2025, according to Retail NZ’s quarterly Retail Radar survey. Despite this, 73 per cent believe they will survive the next twelve months, a slight nudge up on the previous quarter confidence.
There are also mixed expectations for quarter two sales.
According to Retail NZ, local businesses are focused on the potential uplift in consumer confidence later in the year, with almost half of mortgages to be re-fixed in the next six months, further cuts likely in the OCR, unemployment expected to peak in the first half of the year, while inflation is under control and seems stable within the required target of 1 per cent to 3 per cent.
“When prices are stable, households can better plan their spending, which flows through to retailers,” Retail NZ added.
Continuing the trend of the last 15 months, inflation/cost of living (69 per cent) and insurance increases (49 per cent) are the key concerns for retailers, slightly down from the levels last quarter.
Additionally cost of payments/merchant fees (46 per cent) continue to be top of mind for retailers followed by wage increases (42 per cent).
With the government having a strong legislative calendar for 2025, Retail NZ asked members about potential changes to the Holidays Act.
“Many retailers have a number of part-time employees, so potential changes to sick leave, to a pro-rata basis, is seen as fairer and less cost to businesses,” Retail NZ noted. “With 75 per cent of those surveyed in support of change.”
The peak body added that the current calculation for annual leave is complicated and can be confusing for both employers and employees to fully understand.
“Potential changes to an accrual hourly basis received 78 per cent support from those surveyed. Highlighting the complexity of the legislation, 18 per cent of respondents were unsure of what impact this would have, with only 4 per cent of respondents not in support of change.
“In retail, many staff have rotating shifts that do not fall into a standard work pattern,” Young said. “This makes calculating entitlements difficult, changing to an hourly accrual basis simplifies calculations and makes it easier to understand for everyone.
“Retail NZ is supporting potential changes to pro-rata sick leave for part time workers and move annual leave to an hourly accrual basis from the day you start work.”