Malls in NZ are open much longer than in most similar countries. This isn’t flash for the worklife balance of owners of smaller shops and the staff in all of the shops. We generally have two late nights when most countries have one. Our weekend hours are longer. Cost are probably higher because large periods of the week are unprofitable. Owners of the malls – not owners of the shops decide opening hours.
Are malls open :-
- Far too long (37%, 81 Votes)
- For about the right time (26%, 57 Votes)
- A bit too long (18%, 40 Votes)
- Not nearly enough (11%, 24 Votes)
- Not quite long enough (8%, 16 Votes)
Total Voters: 218
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unfortunately while the mall owners do have the final say, a lot of workers in malls are only making minimum wage as retail assistants so need as many hours work as they can get to live/support their own families. So yes I agree mall owners are being a little on the greedy side, but conversely that does help out the workers.
I used to work in Queensgate, Lower Hutt. Friday nights were, and still are, dead, I worked by myself in our small store, and had a few customers drop by between 5 and 9. Two late nights is very unnesssary, which is obvious with the foot traffic levels! Sunday hours are not too bad, but who knows when they will extend them as well?
One of the reasons pay at retail stores in shopping malls is so low is because those shops have to be open when the mall is open, meaning they are forced to pay staff to be there even in low demand periods.
It makes it really hard for small businesses with mall retail outlets to get decent staff too.
@ Nicola: It helps out the workers only insofar as the minimum wage is too little to live on. Prior to the neo-liberal revolution people did not feel such a need to be helped out by increased hours of slavery. There is something quite nutty about having a low wage, high cost economy and at the same time positing round-the-clock shopping as a national pastime.
I choose: Government has no place in deciding the opening hours of shops.
Shops and alcohol, reduce the availability of both and watch a nation implode… less self medication and more time to think
Gulp,
Don’t leave me alcohol! 
!
NZ has a smaller population than Sydney but has more flexable
shopping hours…. quite bazzar, it’s not required.
Shopping in NZ is deemed to be a liesure activity and we spend a far to much of our liesure time in the Malls,The Warehouse and $2 shops wasting our hard earned income on imported junk.
Its a disgrace that this is what 24×7 flexable shopping hours have achieved in NZ.
The other consequence of cheap imported rubbish is that very little manufacturing is left in NZ.
A friend of mine owns a bar in an Auckland mall, he says that every day he opens his doors he has to pay $1500 to his staff and $1000 dollars rent…
At overheads of $2500 a day he needs the mall open more not less…
What are the normal weelkly hours these are open?
I have managed to mostly avoid them so far (they are not common down here)I don’t think there is even a real one in Dunedin
I spot an oppurtunity – the dunedin megamall, warehouse and carpark emporium…
Usually:
0930 – 1730 Sat – Wed
0930 – 2100 Thursday – Fri
Depends what Trevor means by “similar countries”? Given OECD we are not similar to Aussie cities, maybe better to compare to Ireland or Wisconsin? (Wealth, Workforce, Stay at home mums, and Pop). Not sure a Mall opperator should have any more rights than a normal landlord in forcing business owners to open (or not provide toilet/lunch facilities)
Personally (as a shift worker) I like having the Wainui Mall open Late, the shops shut at 5-5:30, Wharehouse at 8, Supermarkets at 10 and McD at 11 (Sun-Thurs). I know you have also visited late at night Trevor.
Another specific thing I would like to see is WCC rates incentive for shopping from Courtney to Lambton to stay open later, say 6am to 7pm (not Sun). With the apt dwealers and workers they would get custom. Many times a office worker has to race out early to catch some retail before 5pm. I would envision this would only be taken up by those businesses with the ability to roster staff as early or late finish. This would make a huge difference to M’way as well as the vibrancy of the area, and a boost for food service.
We had a Holiday in Blenheim recently, and could not believe the number of small businesses that were shut on Saturday, almost all by midday, after this it was left to the large nationals. The attitude of the locals was that there is something wrong with you if you cant get all your shopping done in bank hours. Very Surreal.
Jeremy
Personally (as a shift worker) I like having the Wainui Mall open Late, the shops shut at 5-5:30, Wharehouse at 8, Supermarkets at 10 and McD at 11 (Sun-Thurs). I know you have also visited late at night Trevor.
Sorry prob not clear enough – not refering to those big stores which do set there own hours – mainly (but not always) have there own entrances. It is the small shops whose hours are dictated by mall owner.
It’s a pity some shops can’t close early leaving others to remain open.
Shopping malls are a relic of the Suburban Age. I’ll have the main street any day (ie, Wellington’s Cuba St)
“Not sure a Mall operator should have any more rights than a normal landlord in forcing business owners to open (or not provide toilet/lunch facilities).”
Think this might be what your driving at, and I do agree, except to say the owners are adults (I hope) and can get together much as a union does and negotiate problems. The employees should always be getting support from their own Union, although my own experience with SFWU was that they will collect fees but do no work, even advice if you are in a small enterprise (Like most unions they need probably need to be pushed).
Oh help, is this going to be Labour’s big policy at the next election? Restrictions on mall hours?
I can see the campaign now: “We’re going to protect workers from being able to earn more money and we’re going to protect consumers from the convenience of being able to go to the mall at night after finishing work.”
Oh well, at least it’s not Winston Peters and his “foreign people are screwing over our oldies” pitch that neatly combines paranoia, xenophobia and the senility of his voting base.
Oh Kleefer, its about the principle of making sure that workers and small business owners can have reasonable work-life balance. Despite your philosophy the world is not all about suiting consumers you know.
It’s a tough one, the shops you would think should be allowed to close their businesses when they want as they are paying a rent, yet they freely enter into a contractual arrangement to be open the hours the malls impose…
I don’t know where the “property right” usually lies under the law in this case, I’m guessing with the mall owner as they Own the land and have a contract…
It will all lie in the contract. Those shops are not owned, they are leased so there is little property right with the lessees, other than the lease document.
Goodness, soon it will be a human right to go shopping whenever you want.
The Internet is 24 hours, isn’t that enough/
Opening hours for Merry Hill Shopping Centre in Birmingham. . . it used to be my local:
Monday to Friday 9.00am – 9.00pm
Saturdays 9.00am – 7.00pm
Sundays 11.00am – 5.00pm
Most of the staff in the evenings and on weekends used to be students. . .
I am all for shorter working hours – New Zealand’s long working hours culture is shocking and I would like to see a task force set up to tackle it. Bring back penal rates for overtime & weekends for starters.