The Malinauskas Government has granted shop trading exemptions to allow extending trading in the city on Saturdays during the Adelaide Fringe and Gather Round.
As part of Adelaide’s 2024 Fringe season, shops in Adelaide’s Central Business District will be allowed to trade until 6pm on Saturday 17 February, 24 February, 2 March, 9 March and 16 March 2023.
This is following a successful run last year, where foot traffic in Rundle Mall in festival season was up by an average of 101% during the extended trading hours compared to 2022 when shops shut at 5pm, while foot traffic overall during festival season was up 18% year-on-year (2022 vs 2023), according to the Adelaide Economic Development Agency.
The second year of Gather Round will also see an extension of shop trading hours in the CBD. On Saturday 6 April shop trading hours in the CBD will be extended from 5pm to 7pm.
Exemptions for both Fringe and Gather Round were granted after discussions with the Adelaide Economic Development Agency and the Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees Association.
The trading hours will allow businesses to take advantage of the significant increase in tourism during the Adelaide Fringe (17 February to 19 March), Adelaide Festival (3 March to 19 March) and WOMADelaide (10 March to 13 March).
These changes are in addition to the government reformed shop trading hours in 2022, as part of changes in the Shop Trading Hours (Extension of Hours) Amendment Act 2022. This legislation has guaranteed midnight trading on Black Friday each year and has locked in three weekdays of midnight trading in the leadup to Christmas, along with Boxing Day with most stores across metropolitan Adelaide now able to open from 9am till 5pm without the need to obtain a trading exemption.
Prior to 2022, only the Central Business District was able to trade on Boxing Day between the hours of 11am to 5pm without an exemption.
Workers cannot be forced to work these extra hours unless they voluntarily agree.
Quotes
Attributable to Kyam Maher
Every year Adelaide’s festival season brings a hive of activity and increased foot traffic to the Adelaide CBD.
Under our changes to shop trading hours, people visiting the city during this time will be able to shop for longer before heading out for dinner, drinks or a show.
The inaugural Gather Round was a huge success for our state, with independent analysis undertaken by IER for the AFL finding more than $83 million was contributed to the state’s economy.
The extended Saturday shop trading hours will allow those going to and from the footy extra time to visit the many great stores in Adelaide’s CBD.
These is an example of the government’s shop trading reforms working exactly as intended. Businesses and unions have come together to support these limited extended trading hours, and the government has been happy to facilitate that.
Attributable to the Member for Adelaide Lucy Hood MP
We want our local retailers and small businesses in the CBD to be able to benefit from the thousands of additional visitors that flock to the city for our hugely successful Fringe Festival and Gather Round.
Our Government is passionate about supporting our CBD and boosting economic activity - as we’ve seen through our significant shop trading reforms.
I hope South Australians got some rest over the festive period because Mad March and Awesome April are on their way - get ready!
