PLANS to ban large shops from trading on New Year's Day have been branded "frankly absurd".
The Scottish Government has launched a consultation seeking the views of businesses, retailers and shop workers.
It aims to determine whether the current law should change and restrict large retailers from trading on New Year’s Day, as is the case on Christmas Day.
The move follows a parliamentary petition by the trade union Usdaw calling for trading on January 1 to be prohibited.
But David Lonsdale, director of the Scottish Retail Consortium, slammed the proposals.
He said: "Shopper footfall is down a quarter, shop vacancies are at a six-year high, and Scottish retailers have lost out on over £4 billion of retail sales over the past fifteen months due to the pandemic and associated lockdowns and restrictions.
"The government’s focus should be on kick-starting recovery, not closing shops.
“The majority of Scotland’s stores have been compelled to close for at least 220 days during the past fifteen months.
"That figure is even higher for shops located in shopping centres or in west central Scotland who were required to close for a further three weeks last November.
"Against this backdrop, it’s frankly absurd that Scottish ministers could even countenance the introduction of a fresh legislative ban to stop shops from trading.
“Where there is demand from customers and availability of staff then shops – like other sectors - ought to be free to choose to open on New Year's Day if they so wish.
"Banning trading permanently on Ne’er Day is illiberal and short-sighted considering customers can already shop online whenever they choose.
"It is also odd that shops are being uniquely singled out and at risk of being shackled with these curbs whilst other consumer-facing businesses such as hotels, restaurants, pubs, petrol stations, and cinemas can carry on.
"Implementing a permanent prohibition on trading also flies in the face of the strenuous efforts that have made over recent years - prior to Covid - to promote Scotland as a visitor destination at New Year.”
Usdaw's petition said many of its members feel they are not getting the time off they need over New Year.
SNP public finance minister Tom Arthur said the last year "has shown how much we all rely on retailers and their staff who have supported the country during the pandemic".
He added: "As we look at recovery and building a sustainable economy we need to consider what will support businesses and their staff in the future.
“Following a petition to the Scottish Parliament’s Public Petitions Committee calling for trading to be banned on New Year’s Day, the Scottish Government has been engaging with business groups, trades unions and others to understand what impact this would have on business and staff.
“This consultation will help us to determine whether the current law should change and restrict large retailers from trading on New Year’s Day, as they currently do on Christmas Day.
“The Scottish Government encourages everybody with an interest to complete this consultation to ensure their views are considered.
“As we recover from the Covid pandemic we are committed to building on the £3.6 billion in support we have delivered to businesses since March 2020 and ensure we seize Scotland’s economic potential, creating secure, sustainable and satisfying jobs.”
The consultation runs for 10 weeks until August 24.
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