Business
2 June, 2025
Sunday trading move
WOOLWORTHS has started the process to trade on Sundays at its Gordonvale supermarket and shopping centre.
An application has been lodged in the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission (QIRC), on behalf of Woolworths Group, to allow for Sunday hours at Gordonvale.
If the application is granted, Woolworths and other larger stores in Gordonvale will be able to open from 9am until 6pm on Sundays, bringing the town in line with the majority of Queensland.
The application, lodged by the National Retail Association, will benefit those stores that currently cannot trade on Sundays in Gordonvale, as well as future retailers looking to open a store in the region.
Woolworths’ Queensland assistant state manager Sophie Hobden said the company had been “a proud part of the Gordonvale community since 2022 employing over 90 team members”.
“Our customers have told us they want greater flexibility to shop for their food and groceries when it suits them. The ability to trade on Sunday would allow for that,” she said.
“We surveyed our customers and found that the overwhelming majority said they would shop on Sundays if it was available.
“It would also provide a choice for our team to work further hours – which many of the team would like to have the opportunity to do – and earn additional income.”
National Retail Association interim chief executive officer Lindsay Carroll said if approved, the application would bring convenience for locals and a great incentive for tourists on the Bruce Highway to stop and shop in town.
“It will allow Gordonvale locals to enjoy the same convenience and choice that shoppers already enjoy in Brisbane, Cairns and centres across the state including Ingham, Innisfail, Mackay and Emu Park,” she said.
“This application recognises the recent and planned future growth in the area and will ensure that retail trade keeps pace with the evolving nature of the region.
“In our experience, Sunday trading benefits local small businesses because it draws people from outside the region into town where they spend with all kinds of stores – local cafes, fruit shops, clothing stores and the like. Sunday trading brings regional centres to life and that benefits everyone – from small businesses to residents to visitors to workers.”
Woolworths conducted a survey of Gordonvale shoppers in March 2024 and found that 87 per cent of respondents confirmed that they currently shop at grocery stores on a Sunday, whether at nearby Woolworths stores or other grocery stores.
If Sunday trade was available, 91 per cent of respondents said they would shop on Sundays, with 79 per cent preferring to shop in store and 12 per cent online.
It is understood the nearby IGA supermarket does a roaring trade on Sundays when Woolworths is closed.
