Restrictions to opening times on Sundays are under the Sunday Trading Act 1994 Act (external link) confined to large shops (defined under the Act as those having an internal sales area of over 280 square metres), which may open for six hours between 10:00am and 18:00pm and are required to remain closed on Easter Sunday. Small shops are not covered by these restrictions and can open freely. The Sunday Trading Act also includes specific measures to protect the rights of shop workers who do not wish to work on Sunday.
Apart from the restrictions mentioned above it is left to individual owners to determine their opening hours in the light of customer demand.
The Regulatory Reform (Sunday Trading) Order 2004 removed the requirement for large shops to notify local authorities of their Sunday trading hours or of any changes. Large shops limited to trading for a maximum of six hours between 10:00am and 18:00pm on Sundays must display these hours inside and outside the premises.
Shops that are subject to planning restrictions that prevent them trading on a Sunday must still comply with those restrictions.
Easter Sunday and Christmas Day
The Christmas Day (Trading) Act 2004 (external link) prohibits large shops from opening on Christmas Day.
The Sunday Trading Act 1994 requires large shops - those where the relevant floor area exceeds 280 square metres to close on Easter Sunday.
Exemptions
There are certain exemptions to the 280 rule:
shops at a designated airport, in a railway station, at a highway service area or at any petrol filling station
shops where the trade or business carried on consists wholly or mainly of the sale of alcohol or motor or cycle supplies and accessories
registered pharmacies that are not open for the retail sale of any goods other than medical and surgical goods
farm shops where the trade consists wholly, or mainly of the sale of produce (crops or reared animals) from that farm
public houses, off-licences and take away food shops (These premises must still comply with the requirements of the Licensing Act 2003 and planning legislation)
exhibition stands
Employment Provisions
The Sunday Trading Act 1994 contains provisions for the protection of staff. These provisions are not enforced by the Local Authority but are the jurisdiction of an Industrial Tribunal with the exception of the original provisions of the Shops Act 1950 relating to time off in respect of Sunday working.