If you work the 9 to 5 grind, you'll understand the annoyance of not being able to run errands or duck out to the shops after you clock off. Especially because there's nothing worse than having to do life admin on the weekend. In our opinion, Saturdays and Sundays are for good vibes and relaxing only, not getting stuck in traffic on your way to the local shopping centre.
Well, if this has you nodding your head in agreeance, here's some good news: retailers in Melbourne's CBD are set to stay open later, so you can get your shopping done after work. We love the sound of this.
According to a study by the Australian Retailers Association, foot traffic monitoring has shown a discrepancy between when people are actually out in Melbourne's streets and when shops are open. The data from pedestrian sensors showed a 25–35 per cent higher foot traffic between 6pm–7pm in comparison to 9am–10am. This has born the Twilight Traders initiative, supported by the City of Melbourne, which is encouraging businesses to change their opening hours to later in the day. As an incentive for traders, the Australian Retailers Association will help with promoting their business.
The new recommended hours are 10am to 7pm, Sunday to Wednesday, and 10am to 9pm, Thursday to Saturday. So shops would be open until at least 7pm every day, to encourage people to make the most of being in the city after they finish work. And there's no shortage of things to do in our city, from cheap eats and top-notch bars to checking out a theatre show or art exhibition. So it would be silly not to take advantage of that.
The initiative is still in the works, so watch this space. Businesses are currently being invited to register their interest to become a Twilight Trader through the Australian Retailers Association.
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