sunday trading laws

[cherryelm]

I work for a large department store which opens 11-5 on a sunday we have been told by management that during the hours browsing time 10-11 we can now assist shoppers and that there will now be an extra 30 minutes at 5pm for custmers to 'shop up'.This sounds to me like an idea to extend shopping illegally on a sunday. can anyone advise?

[Buenchico]

It's perfectly legal (and has been so since 1994)

There can be no limit on the time allowed for 'browsing' because the shop isn't legally 'open'. (i.e. it's not 'open for trading').

The 30 minute period, for the completion of shopping, has always been allowed since the Sunday Trading Act came into force:
"Where a person is charged with having contravened paragraph 2(1) above, in relation to a large shop which was permitted to be open for the serving of retail customers on the Sunday in question during the permitted Sunday opening hours specified in a notice under paragraph 4 above, by reason of his having served a retail customer after the end of those hours, it shall be a defence to prove that the customer was in the shop before that time and left not later than half an hour after that time"
(Schedule 1, para 8).

Chris