Open all hours? No thanks, some say

Consumers want shops to stay open for longer so that they can fit in their shopping around their hectic working days. But meeting the needs of these consumers is about to bring a new challenge for Malta’s army of retailers and small businesses.

A survey by the Chamber of SMEs (GRTU) claims that 62% of its respondents support the revision of a law that currently restricts opening hours to 7pm on weekdays and 8pm on Saturdays, extending until 10pm during the November- January season. 

Not so the people who run their own small businesses and do not have the muscle to employ attendants to run their outlets. 27% of 500 respondents told the GRTU that family-run businesses risk becoming obsolete and replaced by chains due to their lack of resources to open all hours.

“It’s an unthinkable measure that would make it impossible to compete, and eventually destroy family-run businesses,” Alex Anastasi, of Anastasi Shoe Store said.

“Due to the demands of modern society, it is inevitable that the government would have to revise these shopping hours. Unfortunately, faced with the burden of trying to keep up with the competition, family-run businesses risk becoming obsolete, whereas large businesses and chain stores would become even stronger,” Anastasi told MaltaToday.

The government wants to relax opening hours’ restrictions, and the GRTU survey has encouraged it to adopt a more flexible legal framework.
But several family-run businesses in Valletta who spoke to MaltaToday have argued that they do not have the resources to open all hours, complaining of unfair competition because chain stores with the economic power could easily “replace” family-run businesses.

Echoing Anastasi’s criticism, Morris Agius, from Agius Watches, argued that the relaxing opening hours would spell disaster for many businesses who are already struggling to stay afloat.

“It’s already difficult for businesses in Valletta’s ailing commercial hub to make ends meet, so increasing expenses to keep up with the competition would be the final nail in our coffin,” he said.

While the majority of family-run businesses who spoke to this newspaper were opposed to increasing opening hours, others underlined the greater pressure on employees, who would either have to accept working longer or else risk being replaced.

Other vendors whose livelihood mainly depends on tourism, however also welcomed the proposal, hoping that it would serve to “revitalise” Valletta.

“Whenever shops are closed, it only worsens the already gloomy atmosphere in Valletta. Consequently, through the revision of the regulations, the open shops would themselves create an atmosphere and encourage shoppers,” Keith Agius, from souvenir shop Memories, told MaltaToday.

Agius drew comparisons with what he said were the “crowd-pulling” hawkers, insisting that the best way to “revitalise” Valletta for the upcoming V18 events would be to cater to the needs of those shops, outlets and museums that “give the capital city its identity, that create its atmosphere.”

While the Trade License Regulation prohibit shops from opening on public holidays, unless they pay a licence fee, 54% of the GRTU survey’s respondents have insisted that restrictions should be lifted on Sunday and public holidays. “Allowing shops to open on public holidays and weekends would encourage more people to visit Valletta and shop,” Keith Agius continued. “Valletta should no longer be perceived as the dead city, but conversely, in order to boost sales, shops must do their utmost to encourage shoppers.”

On her part, Jennifer Busuttil, a lace vendor in Merchants Street, explained that while some businesses could oppose the revision due to an increase in labour costs, the decision to open should be at the discretion of the owner himself.

Among their aversions to opening on Sunday and public holidays, 36% of the GRTU survey respondents pinpointed the fulfillment of religious duties and their own personal health as the main reason to stay shut on these holidays – a claim supported by the Church commission who, in 2013, took exception to the government’s proposal, insisting that the workers’ financial necessities should not diverge them from fulfilling their religious duties.

“Opening on Sundays and public holidays would be inconceivable for the majority of shop owners,” another shopkeeper, Fredrick Enriquez from Victor Enriquez, said. “Apart from the fact that it would not add to our profits, we deserve a rest.”