If you’re enjoying a long Easter weekend this year but find yourself at a loss as to where you can go – you’re not alone.

New Zealand’s restricted trading laws over Easter continue to cause confusion each year for both businesses and patrons.

Under the Shop Trading Hours Act 1990, retail stores are required to close over three-and-a-half days every year – Good Friday, Easter Sunday, Christmas Day and Anzac Day (until 1pm).

But local policies and historical exemptions vary across the country, complicating rules around which stores can open over the long weekend and what they can sell.

Here’s what you need to know to help you plan ahead this Easter.

What can open?

Good Friday and Easter Sunday are restricted trading days, meaning almost all shops must close.

Exemptions (with strict conditions) include:

• Small grocery shops (eg convenience store, dairy or superette)
• Service stations

Both small grocery shops and service stations can only sell food, drink, household items, personal items and items that people can’t put off buying until the next day, such as baby formula or pet food.

Service stations can also sell petrol, oil, car parts and accessories.

Other shops that can open include:

• Restaurants, cafes and takeaway bars (as long as they only sell prepared or cooked food ready to be eaten immediately in the form in which it is sold)
• Pharmacies
• Shops providing services, rather than selling goods (eg hairdressers, gyms, cinemas)
• Garden centres (only on Easter Sunday)
• Real estate agencies
• Certain shops located at public transport stations
• Certain shops at an exhibition, show, or market
• Souvenir shops

What generally can’t open?

In general, these aren’t allowed to open:

• Supermarkets
• Shopping malls/department stores
• Clothing, appliance and other retail stores
• Off-licence liquor stores

The exemptions in play

However, some will be allowed to open if they are in a council area with a local Easter Sunday trading policy or in a historical exemption area.

Most shops on Auckland’s Parnell Road are able to open on Easter Sunday between 10am-6pm due to a special exemption issued in 1989.

Christchurch’s Arts Centre can open its doors too on Easter Sunday.

Queenstown, Paihia and Taupō are traditional tourist destinations and have various historical exemptions from the national Easter trading restrictions – although these vary by location.

Paihia has Good Friday and Easter Sunday; Queenstown has Good Friday and Anzac Day after 12pm; Taupō Central has Easter Sunday only, 10am-3pm.

According to Retail NZ, around 42 local council districts have local Easter Sunday trading policies in place, allowing shops to open on Easter Sunday.

Clothing, appliance and other retail stores will not be open on Good Friday and Easter Sunday. Photo / 123rf

What about Easter Monday?

While Easter Monday is a public holiday, any shop can open.

Possible changes to Easter alcohol sales rules

The Sale and Supply of Alcohol (Sales on Anzac Day Morning, Good Friday, Easter Sunday, and Christmas Day) Amendment Bill is awaiting its third reading in Parliament.

If passed, it would allow licensed premises that are already permitted to open on those days to sell alcohol under their usual licence conditions.

However, because the bill would only come into force the day after royal assent, it is unlikely to affect trading rules for this Easter.