Opinion: Easter trading a boon - for some

Downtown Mount Maunganui retailers will likely benefit from opening on Easter Sunday. Photo/file

Tauranga City Council has voted in favour of allowing city retailers to open on Easter Sunday.

This will be a win for many city retailers, especially those in the busy Mount, who will have the opportunity to cash in on the thousands of holidaymakers who flock to Tauranga for the last long weekend of the warmer months.

We're such a tourist hot spot that it does seem ridiculous to have all the shops closed at such a busy time.

I love to shop when I'm on holiday and I know I'm not alone in this regard. It's always fun to check out different shops and buy something you know you wouldn't have found at home.

I bet Mount Maunganui's main street will be absolutely crawling with shoppers next Easter.

The downside to the change will be for the shop workers who will now have one less guaranteed holiday off a year.

Public holidays are usually the busiest times of year for shops, which means they need all hands on deck to deal with the hordes of shoppers.

When I worked in a clothing shop in my younger days, I always looked forward to Easter Sunday.

It was awesome because it was one of the only chances I'd get to have a weekend day off throughout the year and, being a public holiday, most of my friends and family were also off work.

Now, these workers will only get two guaranteed days off a year - Good Friday and Christmas.

The changes will be a shame for these hard - and usually low-wage - workers.