Australia
Store trading hours in Australia are regulated by individual states and territories.
The states of New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, the Australian Capital Territory, and the Northern Territory are the only states in Australia that totally deregulate laws on shopping hours. All retail businesses in the states, regardless of size or product offer are able to stipulate their trading hours to suit their individual customer demand (although they are required to remain closed on Christmas Day, Good Friday, and (in Tasmania and NSW only) on Easter Sunday, except the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory, which can remain open on any public holiday). The two main supermarket operators Woolworths and Coles generally trade between 6 am and midnight ever day, although some inner-city stores in Sydney and Melbourne operate 24 h. Melbourne generally has the most relaxed rules. Almost all shopping centres in Melbourne now trade late on Thursdays and Fridays as well as being open longer hours on Sundays. Melbourne is also famous for beginning the trend of 36 h in the leadup to Christmas. Some of the larger shopping centres will open from 8 am until 6 pm on Christmas Eve. Trading hours in the Australian Capital Territory have been deregulated since the repeal of the Trading Hours Act 1996 on 29 May 1997.
Shopping Hours in South Australia are still regulated. however the state government has passed numerous changes to relax the laws. Despite these changes retailers still face complicated and confusing trading laws, which stipulate trading hours based on size and product offer. Supermarkets that trade with fewer than 7 workers and with a trading floor less than 500 m2 are exempt from the laws. Larger supermarkets are required by law to close at 9 pm on weekdays, 5 pm on Saturdays and are permitted to trade only between 11 am and 5 pm on Sundays.
In all areas of Queensland, trading hours with major supermarkets are 8 am-9 pm Mon-Fri, 8am-5:30 on Saturdays and Sundays trade on 9 am-6 pm. Most major shopping centres close at 5 pm every day, with the exception of one night a week with what is so named 'late night shopping.' If a supermarket is in a major shopping center, it must still cease trading at 9 pm, with special access for just the supermarket.
In rural areas of Western Australia below the 27th parallel, local governments nominate shop closing hours to the State government, which, if accepted, are implemented by ministerial order. Shopping hours in the state's capital, Perth, are regulated by laws similar to South Australia's. Trading hours are stipulated in law, and are based on size and product offer. As in South Australia, smaller, independently-operated supermarket retailers are exempted. Chain supermarkets are required to close at 9 pm on weekdays, 5 pm on Saturdays, and are permitted to trade only between 11 am and 5 pm on Sundays.
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