Australians will gather for Dawn Services across the country on Anzac Day to honour service men and women. The national public holiday, falling on Friday 25 April 2025, brings significant changes to retail trading hours.
Retail closures sweep across states
New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, and Perth will see most Woolworths stores closed. Victoria, Northern Territory, and ACT stores will reopen at 1pm. Tasmania stores will open from 12:30pm. Regional Western Australia locations will open at either 12pm or 1pm.
Coles stores in New South Wales and Queensland will remain closed. Victorian Coles locations reopen from 1pm. Northern Territory stores open at 12pm. ACT and Tasmania will see stores trading from either 12:30 pm or 1pm. South Australian and Western Australian store hours vary by location.
Figure 1: Coles stores in New South Wales and Queensland will remain closed
Aldi opens only in selected states
Aldi stores will trade in Victoria. Queensland stores will remain closed. Trading hours in other states and territories differ. Aldi advises checking its online store locator for accurate information.
Westfield shopping centres face closures
All Westfield centres in New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, and Western Australia will remain closed. ACT Westfield centres open from 1pm to 5pm. Victorian centres operate between 1pm and 9pm.
Kmart modifies store operations
Kmart stores in New South Wales, Queensland, and Western Australia will remain shut. Victorian and South Australian stores will open after 1pm. ACT locations begin trading from 1:30pm.
Bottle shops face stricter regulations in NSW
Dan Murphy’s and BWS stores will mostly begin trading at 1pm, except for stores linked to ALH Hotels, which follow the hotel licence. New South Wales stores will largely stay closed for the entire day. Only stores attached to ALH Hotels may trade.
In South Australia and Western Australia, opening times differ by location. Customers are advised to check directly with their local store.
New rules affect smaller liquor outlets
The Bottle-O at Wickham is among 2,400 liquor retailers required to close under updated NSW Fair Trading rules. These rules mandate that all retail shops must remain closed on Anzac Day.
Previously, retailers could open from 1pm. The rule aims to encourage more participation in Anzac Day services. The change was introduced in July 2024.
Figure 2: The Bottle-O at Wickham to remain closed
Industry raises concerns over fairness
Retail Drinks Australia called the laws “unfair”, “discriminatory”, and “anti-competitive”. Chief executive Michael Waters said, “People taking part in Anzac Day should be able to commemorate however they choose.”
Waters added, “Despite all attempts with the NSW government, no change is coming this year.” Over 100 exemption applications have been rejected. Waters stated, “Applicants are being told they do not meet the ‘exceptional circumstance’ or ‘public interest’ thresholds.”
NSW Fair Trading has not defined these thresholds. Retail Drinks Australia has launched a petition campaign via in-store posters.
Retailers react to trading ban
Luke Dickinson, who manages several bottle shops in Newcastle, described the rule as “a bit of a kick in the guts.” Dickinson said, “The government is trying to stop owners of shops forcing people to work on some of these days.”
He added, “It has to be optional.” Dickinson employs 15 to 20 university students who rely on public holiday rates. He noted that permanent part-time and full-time staff will still receive pay but cannot earn sales revenue.
He highlighted, “It’s been a really expensive couple of weeks with Easter Sunday being closed, Good Friday being closed.”
Small retailers see opportunity
Rashmin Naroln, owner of Bottlemart at Carrington, supports the closure of larger stores. Naroln qualifies as a small shop retailer and can trade on Anzac Day. He said, “Now it’s a good opportunity because big retailers will be closed.”
Naroln explained that the period following Easter and Anzac Day is typically slow. He added, “It is a bit of a relief, otherwise it would be hard.”
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Big W and Ikea follow suit
Big W stores in Western Australia, New South Wales, and Queensland will remain closed. Stores in other regions will open with reduced hours. Ikea stores in New South Wales, Western Australia, and Queensland will also remain shut. Victorian and South Australian stores will trade with reduced hours.
Wider retail impact
The long weekend follows closely behind the Easter holidays. Many Australians face empty pantries after consecutive closures. Retailers urge customers to plan ahead.
Retail Drinks Australia continues to appeal to the government. The organisation seeks a return to the 1pm opening time for bottle shops.
The trading hour restrictions aim to prioritise national reflection and recognition. Retailers and consumers alike must adjust to the evolving landscape of public holiday trading.
