Easter trading rules 2025: Store closures and exemptions explained
Easter weekend will see most stores closed due to the Shop Trading Hours Act 1990.
Good Friday and Easter Sunday have restricted trading, with exemptions for essential services and specific areas.
Public holiday surcharges apply on Good Friday and Easter Monday, with alcohol sales regulated separately.
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Expect New Zealand towns and cities to be a little sleepier this weekend, as Easter delivers a four-day break for Kiwis and most shops closed this Friday and Sunday.
Under the Shop Trading Hours Act 1990, retail stores in Aotearoa are required to close over three-and-a-half days every year.
With Good Friday and Easter Sunday counting for two of the restricted trading days, this weekend looks especially different for employers, workers and customers.
In 2016, the act was amended to let councils set their own local Easter Sunday trading policies - although Good Friday remains a restricted trading day under the changes.
Regulations and bylaws vary across the country, complicating rules around which stores can actually open over the long weekend.
Here’s what to expect to help you plan ahead this Easter.
What can open?
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Nationwide, only certain shops are permitted to open on Good Friday and Easter Sunday, depending on what they sell.
According to Employment NZ, shops can open on these days if they’re defined as one of the following:
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Small grocery shop
Service station
Restaurant
Cafe
Takeaway store
Duty-free store
Service-providing shop (e.g. barber)
Real estate agency
Pharmacy
Garden centre (Easter Sunday only)
Certain shops in public transport stations
Certain shops at an exhibition, show, or market
Souvenir shop
Exempt stores are also subject to restrictions that dictate what they can and can’t sell.
Retail NZ says open stores should only sell services or essential goods. This includes items “people can’t put off buying until the next day, such as baby formula or pet food”.
The rules for each day still look a little different, as Good Friday is a public holiday and a restricted trading day, Easter Sunday is also restricted but not a public holiday, and Easter Monday is a public holiday without trading restrictions.
If you’re eating out on Good Friday or Easter Monday, prepare to pay a public holiday surcharge. This is typically set at 15%.
What can’t open?
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Supermarkets are not allowed to trade on Good Friday and Easter Sunday - but smaller grocery stores and dairies are exempt.
Cafes, restaurants and bars can open, but can only serve alcohol if patrons buy a meal with their drink, while off-licence stores must remain closed on both days, with alcohol sales regulated separately by the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012.
Of course, shops in areas with valid exemptions can open under local Easter Sunday policies.
Who’s exempt from the national restrictions?
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Although the main city councils have yet to introduce their own Easter Sunday trading bylaws, some have exempt areas with shops permitted to open.
For Auckland, that’s Parnell Village, while Christchurch’s Arts Centre can open its doors too.
Queenstown, Paihia and Taupō are designated tourist destinations and are exempt from the national Easter trading restrictions, meaning they can open on Good Friday and Easter Sunday.
Shops in Picton’s Mariners Mall can trade on both days too, but a cruise ship must be docked in port to allow Easter Sunday trading to occur.
Golden Bay businesses have an exemption from the Tasman District Council to trade on Easter Sunday if they wish.
Wellington, Porirua and Lower Hutt do not have any exempt areas, while Dunedin’s Carnegie Centre can only sell arts and crafts.
Since 2016, councils have been able to roll out their own local Easter Sunday trading policies over a specific area or their whole district.
Most regional and district councils have adopted their own trading policies and rules since the amendment was passed.
For example, all shops in places like the Far North, Hauraki, Marlborough and Tauranga are permitted to open on Easter Sunday, although they can also choose to remain closed.
Others, mostly city councils, lack a local policy or only have certain areas exempt, meaning stores within their jurisdiction remain subject to the Shop Trading Hours Act’s restrictions.
This includes, but is not limited to, the councils governing Auckland, Hamilton, Palmerston North, Wellington, Hutt City, Christchurch and Dunedin.
How to tell if a shop is allowed to open
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If you’re struggling to decipher which stores are exempt from Easter restrictions, a good rule of thumb is to check whether it’s selling goods or a service.
Stores offering services, such as hairdressers or beauty salons, are able to open, but they can only sell services, not tangible goods.
For example, you can open a spa facility on either day to sell treatments such as massages and facials, but cannot sell products such as skincare or massage oils for customers to take home.
If you’re still unsure, check with a store directly before visiting.
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Christmas gifts stolen from parked car prompts warning over holiday break-ins
An Auckland man whose Christmas presents were stolen from his car on a quiet street is warning others not to repeat his mistake.
Police and the AA say opportunistic thieves are breaking into cars more frequently during the Christmas period.
Jeremy Rees, an RNZ staff member in Auckland, had packed his car full of gifts when he decided to visit a friend.
“Everyone had handed over presents and we had a couple of bags full of presents sitting in the back of the car,” he said.
“I decided it would be great to go around and see a friend, drop off some presents and say hello. My wife said to me, ‘Are you sure we should be taking this car?’ I said, ‘I’m sure it’ll be fine’.
“I think it was only 20 minutes outside their house, a very quiet street. It was light [outside]. We came out and my wife pointed out that someone had smashed the rear window, reached in and grabbed the presents, and headed away.
“It was a shock. It was a shock partly because of the Christmas presents and partly because my wife had been telling me, ‘Don’t do that’.”
AA Insurance head of motor claims Beau Paparoa said roadside staff were responding to smashed windows more often.
“We definitely see car break-ins starting to occur a lot more around this time of year. We’re often hearing from customers and some of our roadside teams that there’s definitely a bit more opportunistic theft happening,” he said.
“We’re putting that down to it being a busy time of year. Everyone’s out doing their Christmas shopping and there’s much more presence of gifts and valuables being visible in the car.”
He encouraged people to be careful and make sure valuables were hidden from view.
“In terms of any valuables, if you’ve done some Christmas shopping, or if generally you’ve got valuables in your car, try [to] keep them locked away or out of sight – in your boot if you can,” he said.
“Where you’re parking is possibly a good thing to think about. If you can afford to, don’t park on the street, but if you have to park on-street, make sure you park in well-lit areas.”
Police said it was not uncommon for Christmas presents to be stolen.
“The key is to remove any opportunity. This includes taking valuables or documents out of vehicles wherever possible,” a spokesperson said.
Rees said he wished he had followed that advice.
“I feel a bit stupid, to be absolutely honest. I read all of the things from police saying ‘don’t do this, don’t pack your car, don’t just leave it on the street’, and I did exactly the opposite and I paid the price.”
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Auckland Harbour Bridge summer works
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi is carrying out essential maintenance on the Auckland Harbour Bridge this December and January. The southbound clip-on lanes will be closed (24/7) from 26 December to 5 January for road resurfacing. Night-time lane restrictions will be in place throughout the summer for recoating work on the bridge. Traffic will still be able to travel in both directions at all times.
Poll: 🗑️ Would you be keen to switch to a fortnightly rubbish collection, or do you prefer things as they are?
Aucklanders, our weekly rubbish collections are staying after councillors voted to scrap a proposed trial of fortnightly pick-ups.
We want to hear from you: would you be keen to switch to a fortnightly rubbish collection, or do you prefer things as they are?
Keen for the details? Read up about the scrapped collection trial here.
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82.6% Same!
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17.4% Would have liked to try something different
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