A LACK of shoppers in the city has small business owners worried the proposed permanent extended trading hours for large retailers will have zero profit for their stores.
The City of Busselton application to permanently change retail trading hours is waiting to be signed off by the Commerce Minister.
The extended hours will allow large businesses who employ more than 18 people excluding car yards and some hardware stores, the opportunity to open seven days a week from 8am to 9pm.
Currently small businesses that employ less than 18 people can open whenever they want.
Busselton Chamber of Commerce chief executive officer Ray McMillan said the application would hopefully be signed off before January.
“The extended hours will encourage and generate more traffic through the city which will benefit smaller businesses,” Mr McMillan said.
Fig Tree Lane Maison Sur Mer business owner Shirley Lockwood said the lack of shoppers in Busselton didn’t warrant her gifts and homeware store to open for longer.
“Almost everyday between 3.30pm and 4pm you would be lucky to have anyone in a store on Fig Tree Lane,” Ms Lockwood said.
“Retail is hit and miss for my store at the moment and I’m not sure if I will even extend our hours over the summer.”
Ms Lockwood said she believed this was due to shoppers being unaware of their opening hours.
According to Ms Lockwood people tend to drive to Dunsborough and Margaret River because they are confident the stores there will be open.
“I think we lose out because people aren’t aware we are here,” she said.
Another Fig Tree Lane business owner said the city needed to advertise the precinct as well as the City’s retail opening hours.
“Every shop has to be open and it needs to be advertised massively if we are to gain from the extended hours,” the clothing store owner said.
“When we are making lots of money we will be more willing to take the gamble and open for longer.”
Echo Clothing Busselton owner Ben Lloyd said the extended hours would be a huge bonus for the city and benefit his small Queen Street business.
Mr Lloyd believes the lack of confidence in Busselton stores is because the larger retail outlets aren’t open.
“We need the big businesses to be open to help us but city stores also need to be open consistent hours.”
According to Mr Lloyd, most Sundays, Echo was one of three shops open in the city and the amount of businesses which shut at midday on a Saturday was “unbelievable”.
Echo gets enough business to warrant opening on a Sunday because Mr Lloyd believes it’s not just about the sales he makes on the day but the overall service he provides his customers.
“We shouldn’t be trying to match the bigger stores,” Mr Lloyd said.
“Margaret River and Dunsborough have a lot less population but people go there with confidence and that to me is the big thing here.”
Have your say about extended trading hours for big businesses in the city, email laura.newey@fairfaxmedia.com.au.
