Coles and Woolworths have united in calls for a loosening of restrictions on trading hours within Australia in order for the supermarket giants to compete with overseas online retailers.
As part of the Productivity Commission’s study Costs of Doing Business: Retail Trade Industry, both grocery chains have made submissions, citing the need for a reform of retail reading hours that are inconsistent across the country’s states and territories.
Woolworth’s submission, available online, said restrictions on trading hours affect retailers, consumers and employees, leaving the company vulnerable to competition from overseas online retailers.
Coles’ submission carried a similar tune, stating that reducing red tape and uniform trading hours would enhance productivity and competitiveness, especially in light of the growing online retail sector.
Coles recently announced it would open 31 new stores in Queensland, with 20 in the Brisbane metro area, creating more than 8,000 new jobs over the next two years.
The Productivity Commission’s final report is due to be released in October 2014.
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