CQ shoppers loving Sunday trade

Owners of Loot Homewares, Garth and Lynn Comerford, are loving Sunday trading at Stockland Rockhampton.

Chris Ison

ROCKHAMPTON homeware store owners Garth and Lynn Comerford are seeing the same trade in five hours on Sunday as an average eight-hour day.

It’s been about eight weeks since the first day of Sunday trading across major shopping centres in Rockhampton, and Garth said shoppers loved it.

“It’s traditionally a slower time of the year, but the extended trading is bringing in more shoppers, especially from western towns,” Garth said.

Garth said Moranbah shoppers would soon become part of the mix.

He said Sundays were very relaxed.

The Comerfords have owned Loot Homewares for the past nine years and said it had become necessary to give shoppers the option of Sunday trading.

The Body Shop’s retail operations manager, Tony Rogers, said it was proving a big hit for shoppers, especially out-of-towners.

“We see a lot of customers who have come in from other towns like Gladstone for a relaxing shopping day.”

Stockland Rockhampton centre manager Brett Leonard said while February was traditionally one of the slower months in retail trade, there had been a flow of new customers.

“Sunday trading has opened a whole new reason to travel to Rockhampton, and stay longer,” he said.

As a result of Sunday trading, there will be more time for families to shop together over the Easter long weekend.

Stockland will open from 9am to 9pm April 1, close Good Friday, open 9am to 3pm April 3, 10am to 4pm April 4 and 10am to 4pm April 5.