20th April 2018
Any further deregulation of trading hours in Western Australia will seriously impact the viability of small businesses throughout the State. The calls for deregulation of trading hours might suit the growth of the 2 giant chains but family enterprises and private businesses will inevitably suffer heavy financial losses if this happened in WA.
Jos de Bruin, the CEO of MGA said, "We are fully aware of the struggle faced by independent retailers to keep their heads above water, as they fight to combat the might of the chains. MGA strongly supports its 491 WA members in opposing the deregulation of trading hours."
"We have seen Coles and Woolworths gradually expand their power by building more and bigger stores, which in the end just crowd out the little guys to the point of annihilation, all in their own self- interest. Currently small retailers are able to trade at times that gives them a small trading advantage and that helps them to survive, but if those times disappear- then so will they! "
Mr. de Bruin continued, "We have seen this happen in so many towns and cities all over Australia. The chains get their way and what was once a thriving, tight- knit community, just ceases to exist. High streets become ghost towns.
Businesses that have been established for decades just disappear and it’s not just the supermarkets. It’s the butchers, the bakers and the chemists. It’s also the professionals who were once supported by small businesses, and the surrounding farms that supply local commodities, they suffer too, because Coles and Woolworths have their support in the big cities and they buy in massive quantities."
Mr.de Bruin concluded we need the community to know that there won’t be more jobs, as we are led to believe, there won’t be more competition because there won’t be anyone to compete with and there won’t be any Australian local produce because so much will all be imported. We need to stop big business bullying the WA people in regard to trading hours deregulation." ---
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