Open Sundays,  a broad alliance of retailers campaigning for the relaxation of current Sunday trading laws, is stepping up its campaign to get current restrictions relaxed.

It comes in light of Conservative MP Philip Davies, vice-chairman of the All Party Parliamentary Retail Group, saying:  ‘I would like to scrap the Sunday trading restrictions altogether. The sky has not fallen in Scotland where there are no such rules."

Mark Allatt, co-founder & director of Open Sundays, said: “Philip Davies’ recently proposed amendments to Sunday trading laws would be a welcome change to suit modern century shopping habits. 

"Our high streets need to be able to better compete with online retailers that are able to sell 24/7 with no restrictions. Research from SAS & Verdict shows that almost 12% of retail spend last year was spent online, with online sales up 18% year on year in February 2014.

 “British people do want more freedom to shop on a Sunday – according to a national survey by ComRes for Open Sundays, when asked to what extent the British people would support or oppose a permanent liberalisation of Sunday trading hours, 64% of respondents were in favour of a reform. 18-24 year olds are the most supportive of full liberalisation, with 77% of respondents in this age group behind the reform.

“Bank Holiday weekends are vital for retailers, with high streets and shopping centres seeing a surge in footfall. But the shortened hours on a Monday and six hours on a Sunday prevents retailers from taking full advantage and gives the initiative to the online retail sector.” 

For more information on Open Sundays visit www.opensundays.org