By Chris Thomson | posted on April 19, 2018
COLES says it would employ more people at its two Albany stores if the city council allowed it to trade longer.
A spokesperson for the Wesfarmers-owned retailer said extending Albany’s shopping hours would give customers greater convenience.
“We believe deregulated shopping hours in Albany would benefit Coles customers and result in additional local employment opportunities across our two stores,” the spokesperson said.
“Coles welcomed the extended shop trading hours previously granted across various public holidays and the 2017/18 Christmas period.
“These extended hours were well received by our customers, providing them with greater convenience, choice and flexibility.”
Coles, along with Woolworths and potentially ALDI, are locked out of Sunday and late-night trading except for Thursday nights, while Albany’s three supermarkets in the national IGA network are permitted to trade on Sundays and every night of the week.
In response to questions from The Weekender, a spokesperson for Australian-owned Woolworths said the company “welcomes the general liberalisation of trading hours, as we believe it would provide our customers with greater choice and convenience”.
A spokesperson for German-owned ALDI – conspicuous by its absence from Albany given it has supermarkets in the regional centres of Australind, Bunbury, Busselton, Mandurah and Northam – said the company was “eager to bring our unique shopping experience to more Western Australians”.
“We are continually reviewing and updating our network plans and Albany has been recognised as a potential long-term future opportunity,” the spokesperson said.
“When deciding on locations for ALDI stores, trading hours are an important factor we take into consideration.
“It is our preference to be able to offer customers convenient shopping hours.”
Albany Chamber of Commerce & Industry President Caroline Hayes said her association had always supported every business’s right to trade whenever they like.
“We [cover] everything from your small, your micro businesses through to relatively large businesses,” she said of the Chamber’s membership base.
In July 2016, six city councillors – including current ones Paul Terry, Ray Hammond, Bill Hollingworth and Alison Goode – narrowly voted down a plan by city tourism development manager Matt Bird that in 2019 the council consider consulting the community on extended shopping hours.
The plan was rejected just six councillors to five, with recently defeated councillors Janelle Price and Nicolette Mulcahy the other two who opposed it.
Yesterday, Albany Mayor Dennis Wellington refused to comment on whether extended trading could help or hinder employment in his city, as he was the proprietor of a shop.
Subsequent efforts close to deadline to contact the only other person authorised to speak on behalf of the city, CEO Andrew Sharpe, were unsuccessful.
Owner of the York Street and Spencer Park IGAs Paul Lionetti declined to comment on potential employment impacts of liberalised trading hours.
North Road IGA proprietor Bob Cybula referred The Weekender to a spokesman who did not return calls.
Albany is the only place in the south-western corner of the continent where Coles and Woolworths are prohibited from trading on Sundays and most weeknights.
