Sunday trading
Restrictions on opening times on Sundays are confined to large shops.
A large shop is defined under the Sunday Trading Act 1994 as having an internal sales area of over 280sq.m or 3000 sq. feet.
The internal sales area means the part of the shop within a building that is used for display of goods and customer services.
Large shops may:
- Open for 6 hours of trading on a Sunday which must be between the hours of 10.00 to 18.00
Large shops must:
- Provide a sign visible both internally and externally specifying the times of trading
- Remain closed on Christmas Day when it falls on a Sunday
Small shops (under 280sq.m) are not covered by these restrictions and can open freely.
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Sunday trading exemptions
A few types of large shops are exempt from provisions and are allowed to open all day on a Sunday.
See the Sunday Trading Act 1994 for further details.
You must account for any legislation which may add, remove or amend these exemptions or any form of changes to the Act.
The Regulatory Reform (Sunday Trading) Order 2004 has removed the need for large shops to let Councils know their Sunday trading hours or any changes to these hours.