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Wesfarmers chief executive Rob Scott has asked for another review of Perth’s retail trading-hour rules, arguing that the laws no longer match how people shop. The request was reported on 1 September 2025 and centres on a simple question: should big-box retailers such as Bunnings face different opening hours and product restrictions than ordinary shops? The State Government’s stated answer, as reported, is that regulated hours protect small businesses. For a household budget, the practical effect is about when and where certain goods can be bought in person, and the rules are still contested.
What Rob Scott asked for
As reported by PerthNow, Scott argued that the retail landscape has changed substantially since Perth’s trading-hour rules were introduced, and that the restrictions leave customers worse off. He linked the call to changes in retail, including e-commerce. In his words, it is “worth doing another review of this because the retail landscape has changed so much from the days these laws were put in place.” That is Wesfarmers’ position, not an independent assessment of the rules.
How the rules distinguish general retail from special retail
The PerthNow report described two categories with different treatment. The figures below are the ones given in that article. They are not a complete statement of current law, and the article did not list every product restriction that applies to special retail.
| Category | Opening hours reported | Product restrictions reported |
|---|---|---|
| Ordinary retail shops | Saturdays 8am–5pm; Sundays 11am–5pm. Weekday hours not stated in the article. | Not stated in the article. |
| Special retail, including Bunnings | 6:30am to 11pm. Days of operation not stated in the article. | Restrictions on what can be sold. The article did not give a full list of restricted categories. |
Because the rules are described in a single news report dated 1 September 2025, confirm the current legal position with the state regulator before relying on these hours or categories for planning or for any published statement.
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Why Bunnings cut hours at Bayswater and Cannington
PerthNow reported that Bunnings had recently reduced the hours of its Bayswater and Cannington warehouses so that they could sell its full range during the hours they remained open. The article named whitegoods, appliances, pet products and car-maintenance goods as part of that range. Its account implies that the full range could not be sold at all times the store was open, although the article does not spell out which restriction applied at which hours. During the reduced hours, shoppers were directed to nearby stores.
For a shopper, this matters in a specific way. If you planned to buy an appliance or a car-maintenance product from one of these two stores during the reduced hours, the store’s own direction was to go elsewhere. Check the store’s current hours and whether the item is available before you travel.
The competing positions
The company’s argument: customer choice
Mike Schneider, Bunnings managing director, is quoted in the report saying: “The government continues to uphold outdated legislation that restricts what local businesses can offer their customers.” The words “outdated” and “local businesses” are the company’s framing. The argument is that the rules limit what customers can buy, when they can buy it, and what local businesses can offer.
The government’s argument: protecting small business
PerthNow reported that the State Government defends regulated hours as necessary to protect small businesses from large operators such as Bunnings, Coles and Woolworths. This is the government’s rationale as relayed by the newspaper. It is not an independent finding about how regulation affects small retailers, prices, employment or sales, and the report did not publish figures to test it.
What the reporting does not show
The article does not quantify the effect of the rules on prices, jobs, retail turnover or household spending. Neither side’s claims about customer benefit or small-business harm are backed by figures in the report. If you are assessing these claims for a purchase or a business decision, look for measured data from the government or independent research rather than the positions above.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What changed after the 2025 report
On 16 September 2026, the WA Opposition announced a proposed Retail Trading Hours Amendment (Sunday Trading) Bill. The announcement said it would move Sunday opening from 11am to 8am while keeping the 5pm closing time. That is a proposal from the opposition. The reporting available does not establish that the bill has been introduced, passed or enacted, or whether the underlying rules have changed. Treat the current Sunday hours as the ones set by the existing rules until the state publishes a change.
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Practical checks before you plan a purchase
- Confirm the store’s current opening hours on its own website or by phone, especially for Sundays and late-evening trading.
- If you need a specific product from a special retail store, check whether it is available in the store’s current trading window. Do not assume the full range is on sale at all hours.
- If a store is operating reduced hours, plan for an alternative nearby store, as the Bayswater and Cannington example shows.
- For the legal position on trading hours, consult the state regulator rather than news coverage, since the sources here do not confirm the current rules.
What is and is not established
- Established by the 2025 report: Scott’s request for a review, the reported hours for ordinary and special retail, Bunnings’ reduced hours at two Perth warehouses, and the company and government positions as quoted or relayed.
- Established by the 2026 announcement: the opposition’s proposal to change Sunday opening to 8am–5pm.
- Not established: whether the proposal passed or changed the law, the full current list of restricted categories, and any measured economic effect of the rules.
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