Employers
Restricted trading days for shops
On three and a half days each year, almost all shops must close. But some shops can open with conditions, or they have an area exemption or Easter Sunday local policy.
What are restricted trading days?
The days when almost all shops must be closed under the Shop Trading Hours Act 1990 are:
- Christmas Day (a public holiday)
- Good Friday (a public holiday)
- ANZAC Day, until 1.00 pm on 25 April (a public holiday)
- Easter Sunday (not a public holiday)
A “shop” is a building or place where goods are kept or sold by retail. It includes an auction mart, barrow, stall or other parts of a market. It does not include a:
- private home, where the owner or occupier’s effects are being sold
- building or place where agricultural products, pastoral products, and livestock are being sold by auction
- building or place where goods are being sold to wholesalers or dealers, who will sell the goods again.
“Goods” includes personal items other than alcohol, which is covered by the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012.
Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012 - New Zealand Legislation(external link)
Check if your shop can open
There are 3 types of shops that can open on restricted trading days:
Type 1: Shops that are listed below.
Type 2: Shops that can open because of an area exemption.
Type 3: Shops that can open on Easter Sunday because the local territorial authority (council) has adopted a local Easter Sunday shop trading policy. This doesn’t mean a shop can open on Christmas Day, Good Friday or Anzac Day before 1pm.
Type 1: List of shops that can open
Yes, you can open so long as:
The only goods you sell are food, drink, household items, and personal items.
The goods you sell are items people can’t put off buying until the next day, such as baby formula or pet food, and the quantity of goods for sale is no more than needed to meet the needs of people in the area or travelling through.
Yes, you can open so long as:
The only goods you sell are food, drink, household items, personal items, petrol, oil, car parts and accessories.
The goods you sell are items people cannot put off buying until the next day, such as baby formula or pet food, and the quantity of goods for sale is no more than needed to meet the needs of people in the area or travelling through.
Yes, you can open so long as you only sell prepared or cooked food ready to be eaten immediately in the form in which it is sold.
Yes, you can open so long as you are only selling duty-free items.
Yes, you can open so long as:
You only provide a service, such as renting videos or cutting hair.
You do not sell any goods, such as videos or hair products.
Yes, you can open without any conditions. Real estate does not fit within the definition of goods as defined by the Act.
Yes, you can open without any conditions.
Yes, you can open so long as:
Your sole or principal business is the supply of plants or garden supplies or both.
The only restricted trading day you can open on is Easter Sunday.
Yes, you can open so long as you only sell books, magazines and newspapers, or duty-free items/souvenirs, or food that has been cooked/prepared and is ready to be eaten.
This includes markets, craft shows and stalls at these exhibitions and shows.
Yes, you can open so long as:
The shop/stall must be within the premises of an actual exhibition or show. This means the building/location but doesn’t include, for example, the street that has been closed for the event.
The exhibition or show must be devoted entirely or primarily to agriculture, art, industry, science, or any of these. This is quite a strict requirement, and to be considered ‘devoted’ to a show or exhibition a shop must be selling goods that are connected in some way with the show. For example, arts and crafts at an art and craft show, or farming supplies at an agriculture show, rather than general goods.
Yes, you can open so long as the criteria for whether or not an item is considered a souvenir is that it is connected to a New Zealand place or New Zealand culture.
If your shop is not listed
Shop owners are responsible for determining if they meet the criteria.
If your shop is not listed, then you must have an area exemption to open or you’re opening on Easter Sunday under a local territorial authority Easter Sunday shop trading policy. Otherwise, you cannot open.
Valid exemptions granted [PDF, 2 MB]
If your shop is on the premises of a show or exhibition or your shop sells souvenirs, contact us before assuming you can open.
Type 2: Shops in exemption areas
A limited number of geographical areas are covered by exemptions to the shop trading restrictions. These are generally tourist resorts such as Taupō and Queenstown.
Some shops in these areas can open on restricted days, but only if the exemption order allows.
Shops covered by area exemptions cannot change them, and no new exemptions can be granted.
Find out which areas have exemptions:
Valid exemptions granted [PDF, 2 MB]
Contact us if you’ve any questions about existing area exemptions.
Type 3: Shops that open on Easter Sunday
Councils can put in place local policies that allow shops within their area, or parts of it, to trade on Easter Sunday. Once a council has created a local policy, they must notify the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE).
Opening on a restricted trading day is an offence
Shops that do not fit into one of the exemption categories, or are not in an area where a council has made a local Easter Sunday shop trading policy, commit an offence if they open and trade on restricted shop trading days.
The “occupier” of the shop may be liable for a fine of up to $1,000. The occupier of a shop includes:
- any agent, manager, supervisor, person acting or apparently acting in control of the shop
- any hawker or person who carries on business by selling goods, or offering goods for sale by retail, or delivering goods to a customer; otherwise than in a shop.
Mondayisation
The Mondayisation of a public holiday for an employee has no effect on shop trading restrictions. The trading restriction is not Mondayised and shops do not have to close twice.