Just eight days to go
THE face of Bundaberg shopping will change in eight days, as stores open their doors to customers on a Sunday for the first time.
Shops in the region have frantically been preparing for Sunday trading after it was approved by the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission (QIRC) on April 16.
Sugarland Shoppingtown marketing executive Katey Young said most stores in the centre would be opening on May 13.
"The majority of retailers will be taking part, which is fabulous," Ms Young said.
"It will certainly be more convenient."
Ms Young said the centre had received positive feedback from the community about seven-day trading.
"They're excited to be able to shop on a Sunday," she said.
"Our (Sunday) trading hours will be from 10am-5pm and Big W and Woolworths will be from 9am-6pm.
"We do recommend people check the opening hours with their favourite stores to avoid disappointment."
Ms Young said the centre's website would be updated from Monday with the new hours for all of the shops in the centre. Hinkler Central centre manager Renee Pukallus said while not every shop in the centre would open on Sundays, most of them would.
"It's generally positive feedback we've been getting (from the shops)," she said.
Mrs Pukallus said from May 13, Kmart, Woolworths and Coles would open from 9am-6pm.
"The specialty stores will be open from 10am-3pm," she said.
"I think a lot of people are looking forward to it."
In its final report, the QIRC said more than 1000 extra hours of work and many new job positions were expected to be created by the change.
This is the case at Woolworths, where new staff have been recruited in the lead-up to the first day of Sunday trade.
"Woolworths' three supermarkets in the area will open from 9am-6pm on Sundays starting from May 13," Woolworths spokesman Benedict Brook said.
"Twenty new staff have been employed from the local area in anticipation of the commencement of Sunday trading."
Mr Brook said the extra shopping day would give customers more choices.
"The start of Sunday trading will bring Bundaberg residents more options, allowing them to choose when they want to shop and who they want to shop with," he said.
