Should Western Australia have extended trading hours?

[mudskipper]

Get over it WA... we did year millennia ago… just ensure your employer rewards your efforts or you’re happy to pay for other peoples time… then we all benefit…

[jargan83]

A question to all, if you had the ability to shop under a deregulated system would you spend more money each week?

No, and that isn't the point, The point is so that people should be able shop when it is convienent to them. Why should IGA (owned by Metcash, a company listed on the ASX) be able to continue their monopoly on Sunday and weeknight trading

[Swee_82]

In answer to Burgs question, I think I probably would spend more (can reserve judgement on whether thats a good or bad thing). Of course this applies more to discretionary spending- as it stands unless I really NEED something (say, if something broke and needed immediate replacement), I'll put off going to the shops because the times don't suit, and the shops are chockers unless I can fit it into my flex day (a luxury that many people don't have) whereas if hours were longer, chances are I'd have replaced the stereo that stopped letting me change the CD about 6 months ago by now.
Would also probably mean a few less nights with toast for dinner- yes I could go to IGA now, but there is a Coles and a Woolworths closer to my place (and due to work reasons, I will shop at Coles when I can), and as plenty of others have mentioned, at IGA the range is small and the prices large which all in all make it so not worth the effort.

[jargan83]

In answer to Burgs question, I think I probably would spend more (can reserve judgement on whether thats a good or bad thing). Of course this applies more to discretionary spending- as it stands unless I really NEED something (say, if something broke and needed immediate replacement), I'll put off going to the shops because the times don't suit, and the shops are chockers unless I can fit it into my flex day (a luxury that many people don't have) whereas if hours were longer, chances are I'd have replaced the stereo that stopped letting me change the CD about 6 months ago by now.

Actually thats a good point. Yesterday morning I managed to pick up a punctured rear tube on my morning bike ride. Not having the time to go home, get the bike and head up to my usual repair place (Bike Force in Cannington and I'm not leaving a $1200 bike sitting in my car at a train station for 9ish hours) on a weekday I thought I was boned until I was driving past and saw that Bike Force was open for 4 hours. Saved my excercise regime for the week

[zimeric]

not only that but we could also SAVE money by not having to visit the corner Servo or Deli to pick up a bottle of milk/bread/other essential after hours...
case in point
i paid $7.50 for a loaf of bread last Friday night from the servo whereas i would've paid $2.50 - $3.00 in a regular supermarket/ bakery etc..

[Flamethrower]

Actually thats a good point. Yesterday morning I managed to pick up a punctured rear tube on my morning bike ride. Not having the time to go home, get the bike and head up to my usual repair place (Bike Force in Cannington and I'm not leaving a $1200 bike sitting in my car at a train station for 9ish hours) on a weekday I thought I was boned until I was driving past and saw that Bike Force was open for 4 hours. Saved my excercise regime for the week

Go to IGA and buy a tyre/tube repair kit and fix it yourself at a quarter the price.

[jargan83]

Go to IGA and buy a tyre/tube repair kit and fix it yourself at a quarter the price.

Needed replacing unfortunately

[normie]

not only that but we could also SAVE money by not having to visit the corner Servo or Deli to pick up a bottle of milk/bread/other essential after hours...
case in point
i paid $7.50 for a loaf of bread last Friday night from the servo whereas i would've paid $2.50 - $3.00 in a regular supermarket/ bakery etc..

I hope it was unleaded bread!!! ~

I often walk away thinking I've been shortchanged after buying the odd essential at a 24hr servo.

---------- Post added at 20:40 ---------- Previous post was at 20:32 ----------

Go to IGA and buy a tyre/tube repair kit and fix it yourself at a quarter the price.

Are IGA allowed to sell such things?

[Burgs]

OK, so a general consensus would seem that extended hours wouldn't mean that you would necessarily spend more in the week.

Would you be prepared to pay a little more to be able to purchase individual items under extended hours?

[travelling_gerry]

We do already

[Burgs]

A little more than you do already stirrer
Or do you mean you donate the change out of the kindness of your heart

[tragic]

Do people in NSW or Victoria (or anywhere else, for that matter) pay more for their day to day groceries?

When I lived (briefly) in Far East Melbourne, surrounded by manufacturers and people on shift, the Woolies was open until 3am, opening again at 8am. Elsewhere, the supermarkets were open at different hours. The store management determined which hours were economical to keep and adjusted their hours accordingly. I certainly don't recall it being more expensive.

I've just come back from Darwin. Even they have extended hours. They tend to keep fairly standard hours as that's what suits them. That might change a bit once the gas plant gets going, but I'll bet that the NT won't have this frankly ludicrous debate when it does.

[normie]

When I lived in the nation's capital and the coffee ran out during a night shift, it was damned convenient to be able to pick up a jar of nescafe from the 24 hour Coles store in Manuka and pay a Coles price as opposed to the double plus price from the 24 hour servo in Civic;

There are shift workers in Perth who would love the convenience of picking up a few odds and ends in the middle of the night, and not have a limited choice or be charged a limb or two.

I found groceries (and beer) cheaper in the ACT than in Perth.

[Little Ox]

How do they expect you to get all shopping completed within the designated trading hours?
The majority of supermarkets around melbourne are now open till midnight or 24 hours so you can shop at a time which suits you - significantly easier if you dont work the standard 9 to 5 and less crowds.

Also helpful when you have 2 kmarts over here which are open 24hours - great for dvd or tv shopping at 2am...