But St Helier Constable Simon Crowcroft has backed the move, claiming that customers would have more choice and that extra business would be generated, particularly by French tourists on short weekend breaks.
And Waitrose & Partners have said that they would open their three large supermarkets in Jersey, if the rules were relaxed. The Co-op has also shown enthusiasm for the move and would probably open its Grand Marché stores on Sundays.
Earlier this week, Economic Development Minister Lyndon Farnham announced that plans would be tabled in the States this autumn to allow stores with more than 700 sq m of floor space to open between 10am and 4pm on Sundays.
Currently only smaller shops are allowed to do so.
In response, Tony O’Neill, chief executive of SandpiperCI – the Island’s largest retailer – said that his company would not be opening any of its large stores on Sundays, if the new regime was approved.
‘At the moment any store under 700 sq m can open, but very few choose to do so. At no stage have government tried to understand why that is. You would have thought this to be a logical step when evaluating an extension,’ he said. ‘We would not favour an extension and would not plan to open any stores over 700 sq m, including M&S in King Street. The market size is only so big and adding in extra trading hours would simply add to our cost base.’
He added: ‘If the minister really wants to help retail, his time would be better spent addressing the discriminatory retail tax of 20% which is damaging capital investment and job opportunities.
‘It is also iniquitous in that no other sector pays any tax at all, except finance who pay 10%.’
SandpiperCI runs the Marks & Spencer, Morrisons Daily and Iceland brands in the Channel Islands.
Mr Crowcroft said that customers, including tourists, needed more choice in Jersey.
‘From the customer perspective, with places like garden centres or DIY, Sundays are the day often when they will do these sort of activities, so it makes sense for them to be able to do their shopping on that day,’ he said.
‘I think it is really important also that the Constables will have the final say [by issuing permits, if the States agree to change the Sunday trading law] over whether the larger stores will be able to open or not. If there are any problems with disturbances or traffic they will take action.
‘Finally, we do get a lot of French people who come to the Island for day trips or the weekend and they need things to do. So there would be extra business on Sundays.’
Damian Warman, director of Waitrose & Partners Jersey Ltd, said that Sunday trading would create jobs and help reduce food waste.
‘We have been working closely with the States of Jersey and the Chamber of Commerce and if the opportunity should arise, Waitrose & Partners would support the introduction of Sunday trading,’ he said. ‘It has the potential to create new jobs, help us further reduce food waste and has already proved very popular when we’ve opened on Sundays in the run-up to Christmas.
‘It’s also been well received since its introduction in Guernsey four years ago, where it has given customers the chance to shop as and when they need to.’
Some other large stores are opposed to the idea of Sunday trading, however.
Ransoms and St Peter’s Garden Centre both said that it would not generate any more income for them and create staffing issues, if their businesses were forced to open for an extra day.
Voisins owner Gerald Voisin took a similar view.
