More businesses appear to flout trading laws over Easter than they do on Anzac Day.
Nationwide, the Labour Department is prosecuting 18 garden centres and a Mitre 10 store for opening on Good Friday or Easter Sunday. Seven of the stores were in the Auckland area.
Similar trading restrictions apply until 1
pm today.
"But we very seldom get any complaints about stores opening on Anzac Day," said Peter Winchester of the department.
"I guess it has a lot of significance for a lot of people. And they can open from 1 pm so they are not losing a whole day."
Under the 1990 Shop Trading Hours Repeal Act, it is illegal to open on Good Friday, Easter Sunday, Christmas Day and before 1 pm on Anzac Day for retailers other than dairies, petrol stations, chemists, fast-food outlets, cafes, restaurants and souvenir shops.
The maximum fine is $1000.
Mr Winchester said the level of compliance generally over Easter was good.
"For both days, the majority of shops that are supposed to close obviously close."
Most garden centres told inspectors they were responding to public demand.
Mr Winchester said that about half of the country's 14 inspectors were working on Good Friday and Easter Sunday. But they would not be able to catch everyone breaking the law.
As a result, at least one Lower Hutt garden centre owner is angry at being prosecuted while competitors opened without penalty. Nevertheless, the $1000 fine was just written into his budget as an overhead.
Mr Winchester said the department did not target particular stores unless there was a previous history of non-compliance.
Should the department check every shop in New Zealand, it would take 100 inspectors working eight hours a day.
