THE DISPUTE over the shop opening hours, which had been forgotten for the last couple years, is back on the public agenda. It was re-kindled by a call by the Chamber of Commerce and the Employers Federation for the liberalisation of opening hours on the grounds that this would help stimulate business activity and create jobs.
Inevitably, the association of owners of small shops POVEK, which has traditionally supported regulation of opening hours, immediately responded. Its representatives argued liberalisation would constitute the final blow to small-to-medium businesses. Liberalisation would increase unemployment as it would add the owners of small shops to the ranks of the unemployed, a POVEK announcement said.
Labour minister Sotiroulla Charalambous offered to mediate in the dispute, even though she is ideologically opposed to liberalisation of anything. Her intentions were made clear when she said “the ministry will make no arrangements without first hearing and engaging in a dialogue with all interested parties.” She wanted to “have a balance that would enable all players of the retail sector to co-exist in conditions of fair competition”.
This is the kind of policy mumbo-jumbo we have come to expect from ministers of the Christofias government, a self-declared champion of dialogue and consensus. Is the co-existence of shops something the state can regulate? And since when does the regulating of shop opening hours constitute a condition of fair competition? But most importantly, what compromise would Mrs Charalambous come up with when one side wants state regulation and the other does not?
A newspaper commentator pointed out that POVEK’s demand was akin to newspapers demanding the state banned the publication of news on the internet so as to protect newspaper business. Why should the state interfere in order to protect any business from changing market conditions and changing consumer habits?
If the big supermarkets and departments stores want to stay open seven days a week it should be their decision and not the state’s or POVEK’s. It is a fallacy to believe liberalised opening hours would lead to the closure of small shops. Has nobody noticed that small shops have been closing anyway, under the regime of regulated opening hours? How many neighbourhood groceries or butcheries are there operating today? Their custom has been taken over by the big supermarkets. And now, the high-street shops are losing business to the malls, where consumers seem to prefer to shop.
Market conditions are changing as are consumer shopping habits and no amount of state regulation can stop this. Small shopkeepers should offer what big stores cannot offer – personal service, unique products – in order to survive, and stop blocking the liberalisation of opening hours that benefit the consumer. Surely consideration should be given to the interests of the consumer.
