The Government’s amendment to the law around serving alcohol will also be in force, meaning the rules for on-licence businesses have loosened for the first time.
What will be open this Anzac Day?
Three types of shops can open on restricted trading days.
- Shops allowed to open with conditions: dairies, service stations, and cafes.
- Pharmacies: can open without restrictions.
- Shops providing services such as hairdressers can operate during restricted hours but can’t sell products.
- Garden centres: can’t open until 1pm on Anzac Day, despite being open on Easter Sunday.
- Tourist areas: some have special exemptions under legislation.
- Specific towns: Nelson, Dunedin and Wānaka can trade with conditions; Queenstown can open from noon.
- Coromandel towns: Tairua, Whangamatā and Whitianga can trade if Anzac Day falls on a Monday or Friday.
Shops without exemptions must stay closed during the first half of April 25.
On-licence businesses can now operate under their usual licence conditions before 1pm, thanks to a recent law change allowing hospitality businesses to sell alcohol as normal.
“Mondayisation” does not affect shop trading restrictions because they apply only to the calendar date of Anzac Day.
Retailers can be fined up to $1000 if they open illegally.
Will I be charged extra?
Cafes and restaurants can choose to add a surcharge on Anzac Day and can also choose to use one on Monday where there is a “clear and justifiable basis”.
Nicola Waldren, general manager of the Restaurant Association, says the surcharge covers the additional costs of operating on a public holiday.
“Where Mondayisation results in increased costs on both Saturday and Monday, a surcharge could be applied across both, provided there’s a clear and justifiable basis for doing so and it reflects the genuine additional costs of operating on that day”, she said.
“Many businesses choose to limit the surcharge to one day only, unless the additional costs across both days can be clearly justified and communicated.”
The Commerce Commission has also said establishments must make it well known to customers that a surcharge will be payable before they decide to buy or engage the service.
“It must be clearly disclosed, for example, by adding information to their website for online sales or placing a sign outside,” the commission says on its website.
“In addition, the reason for any surcharge must be accurately described and must not be capable of misleading consumers. The surcharge should not exceed those costs, and the costs should actually be incurred by the business.”
