Asda is amongst a group of British retailers campaigning to change Sunday trading laws in England and Wales.
The retailers, including B&Q, Ikea and Asda, claim that relaxing Sunday trading regulations could generate an extra £1.4 billion for the economy.
While traditionally the day of rest, many retailers report Sunday to now be their second busiest retailing day of the week, although this is “condensed into a very short shopping window”, a spokesman for the campaign said. “This can mean busy stores, long queues and a poor availability of products.”
A recent YouGov poll carried out for the My Sunday, My Choice campaign, found over half of the consumers surveyed wanted shops to be open later on a Sunday.
The Church of England and Usdaw, the shop workers union, are opposing the move, and a group of MPs have voiced concerns that the relaxed laws could have an impact on the amount of time parents spend with their children.
The Department of Trade and Industry is currently reviewing the restrictions has called on consumers, businesses and religious groups for their views on extending the hours.
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