Exclusive: Push to loosen opening hours

A bid to ditch 66-year-old legislation restricting store opening times has been launched, to boost the island’s ailing retail sector.

The Bermuda Chamber of Commerce is lobbying Government to change the law, which dates from 1947.

Chamber executive director Joanne MacPhee said: “We are trying to get Government to change the legislation to allow stores to open whenever they want, including Sundays, based on market need.

“If we’re going to boost tourism and catch up with the rest of the world, this is something we need to do.

“And it’s something we will continue to aggressively support going through the summer.”

She added that 1990s legislation to allow supermarkets to open for restricted hours on Sundays had caused controversy, particularly among religious groups.

But she said: “People have now got used to it and the supermarkets are very busy on Sundays.”

And a spokesman for Minister of Economic Development Dr Grant Gibbons last night signalled Government could be open for business on the issue.

The spokesman said: “The Minister of Economic Development has a senior policy analyst working with the Chamber in this regard.”

Ms MacPhee was speaking as the Chamber prepares to announce a new look for Harbour Nights — which will see, for the first time in the event’s 20 year history — activities expand from Front Street onto Queen, Reid and Church Streets.

Ms MacPhee said that the new-style Harbour Nights would allow stores off the main shopping street to capitalize on the number of people on the streets for late-night events, instead of just a small number of shops on Front Street.

Ms MacPhee said: “It’s absolutely going to open up the city — it will revitalize the town, which will be open later for our visitors and residents.

“The city centre is coming alive, which is a big change and a big boost for commerce.”

Ms MacPhee said: “It will be a challenge for retailers and it will be a cost thing until it takes root. But we hope retailers will see the benefits and support changes in the law to allow stores to open out-of-hours.”

Ms MacPhee predicted that — while store staff could not be forced to work outside normal hours — many, especially in tough financial times, would welcome the opportunity to earn overtime.

And she added that, in line with major social changes in the workplace, more flexible opening hours would also benefit the many people who work shifts or unusual hours.

She said: “Everybody thinks of Harbour Nights just as a tourism thing, but it’s as much for residents too. It’s an opportunity for people to come out as a family in a relaxed atmosphere, like they have at Christmas.

“It’s really giving retail a much-needed boost — they had a horrible fourth quarter last year, so we really hope being open and encouraging people to visit the city centre will help.”

Ms MacPhee added that increasing the Harbour Nights footprint would allow activities to be spread over a larger area, with smaller, more intimate, busker-style entertainment pencilled in for Front Street and Washington Mall on Reid Street.

She said: “The Flag Pole on Front Street is no longer the epicentre of the route, it’s the end of the route.

“People will be able to flow in and out of different styles of music. There will be more Bermudian-style music at the Bird Cage on Front Street because of the tourists arriving by ferry from Dockyard and different styles elsewhere.

“We will have the Bermuda Regiment band three times during the summer and Gombeys will perform every single week.”

Ms MacPhee added that the Gombeys had previously come down Burnaby Street and performed on Front Street, rather than move around the streets in their traditional style.

She said: “They will now do what they do everywhere else and walk the streets rather than giving a static performance — they will come to the public around the city, rather than the public coming to them.”