ANZAC Day Trading Restrictions: Business Hours Rules In New Zealand

If you run a caf?, retail shop, salon, grocery store, gym, or any customer-facing business, ANZAC Day can be a little tricky.

On the one hand, it's a normal trading day for many customers (especially later in the day). On the other hand, ANZAC Day comes with specific trading restrictions in New Zealand that can affect your opening time, staffing, and even what you're allowed to sell.

This guide breaks down what ANZAC Day business hours can mean for small businesses, who can open (and when), what to watch for in leases and staffing, and how to plan ahead so you can trade confidently and stay compliant.

What Are The ANZAC Day Trading Restrictions In NZ?

ANZAC Day (25 April) is a public holiday in New Zealand, but it's also one of the "restricted trading days" under New Zealand's shop trading rules (commonly discussed under the Shop Trading Hours Act 1990 and related exemptions).

In practical terms, the key point for many small businesses is:

• Many shops must not open until 1:00pm on ANZAC Day.

That's why you'll often see "Closed until 1pm" signs on ANZAC Day morning, even in busy areas.

These trading restrictions are separate from (and in addition to) your usual public holiday obligations under the Holidays Act 2003 (like time-and-a-half pay and alternative holidays, where applicable).

Why Does This Matter For SMEs?

If your business falls into a "shop" category that's restricted from trading before 1pm, opening earlier can expose you to penalties and compliance issues.

It also affects how you roster and communicate with customers. For example, one premises might be required to open later, while a neighbouring business may be able to open earlier because it falls within an exemption (or is not treated as a "shop" for these purposes).

Because customers often search online for ANZAC Day business hours, your public messaging needs to match what you're actually allowed to do.

Does This Apply To Every Business Type?

No. The rules are mainly aimed at shops and retail trading. Many service-based businesses and hospitality businesses are treated differently, and there are exemptions (and sometimes local exemptions) that can apply.

However, the exemptions can be technical and fact-specific (including what you sell, how your premises operate, and what the business is "really" doing). That's why it's worth checking where your business sits before you publish ANZAC Day hours online, roster staff, or commit to opening.

Which Businesses Can Open (And When) On ANZAC Day?

The big compliance question is whether you're operating a type of business that is allowed to trade on ANZAC Day morning, or whether you need to wait until 1pm.

While the exact categories can get technical (and there are specific exemptions in legislation and guidance), some common scenarios for SMEs include the following.

Hospitality: Caf's, Restaurants, Takeaway Shops

Many hospitality businesses can trade on ANZAC Day morning, particularly where the business is primarily providing prepared food or drink for consumption.

That said, "hybrid" models can create grey areas. For example, if you run a caf? that also operates like a retail store (selling a meaningful range of packaged goods, homewares, or merchandise), you may need to be careful about what part of the business is operating before 1pm, how the premises is set up, and what customers are being offered for sale.

If you're licensed, you should also keep alcohol restrictions in mind (more on that below).

Essential/Convenience Retail: Dairies, Service Stations, Pharmacies

Some essential or convenience-focused businesses are commonly treated as exempt and may open earlier, because they provide day-to-day essentials.

But it's not always as simple as the label. For example, if you're larger than a typical convenience store, or you primarily sell non-essential items, you should check whether you genuinely fit an exemption before assuming you can open in the morning.

Online Businesses (Ecommerce)

Online businesses can usually keep selling online, but you still need to think operationally about what "open" means:

• If you have a physical premises open to the public, restricted trading rules may matter.
• If you're dispatching orders from a warehouse with staff working on a public holiday, employment obligations can apply.
• If you offer click-and-collect, your collection hours might be impacted if your premises can't open until 1pm.

Even where shop trading restrictions don't affect you, ANZAC Day can still affect customer expectations and delivery timeframes-so update your website checkout messages and support autoresponders accordingly.

"Tourist Exemptions" And Local Area Rules

Some areas may have specific local exemptions (often linked to tourism) that allow certain shops to open when they would otherwise have to stay closed.

If your business is in a major tourist destination, don't rely on assumptions (or what a neighbouring business is doing). Confirm whether an exemption exists for your exact location and business type, and keep a record of what you relied on (for example, council information or official guidance) in case questions come up later.

What About Alcohol Sales On ANZAC Day?

If your business sells alcohol (whether on-licence or off-licence), ANZAC Day can involve additional restrictions-most notably, restrictions around selling or supplying alcohol before 1pm (including under the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012), and also any specific conditions on your licence.

From a practical SME perspective, this can affect:

• bars and restaurants serving alcohol with lunch bookings (including what service is permitted and when)
• bottle stores and off-licences
• event venues hosting daytime functions

Because alcohol rules can depend on your licence type, your licence conditions, and how alcohol is being served or supplied, it's worth getting advice early-especially if you're planning a promoted event. Getting your Alcohol Licence settings right is one of those "measure twice, cut once" tasks that saves a lot of stress later.

How Should You Set Your ANZAC Day Business Hours (Without Confusing Customers)?

Once you've confirmed whether you can open before 1pm, the next step is making your ANZAC Day opening hours simple, accurate, and consistent across your customer touchpoints.

1) Decide Whether You're Closed, Opening At 1pm, Or Trading As Usual

For many SMEs, the realistic options are:

• Closed all day (common for small retail operators where it's not worth staffing a public holiday)
• Closed until 1pm (common for shops subject to restricted trading)
• Open as usual (common for exempt businesses, but still subject to public holiday staffing/pay rules)
• Reduced hours (for example 1pm?5pm, if you want to trade but keep wage costs controlled)

It's also worth considering what your competitors do, and what your customers expect. For example, if you're a caf? in a suburban area, you might choose to open later even if you're allowed to open early.

2) Check Your Lease And Building Rules (Yes, This Matters)

If you operate in a mall, retail complex, or shared building, your lease may include rules about:

• required trading hours
• quiet hours or building access times
• security and access on public holidays

Even if you're legally allowed to open, your lease might effectively stop you (or make it costly/awkward) if the centre is closed and there's no access for customers.

That's why it helps to understand what your Commercial Lease Agreement says about trading hours and public holidays-especially if you're planning to change your usual schedule.

3) Update All Customer-Facing Places Consistently

To rank (and convert) when people search for ANZAC Day business hours, your information needs to be consistent and easy to find. Make sure you update:

• Google Business Profile (often the first thing customers check)
• your website banner and contact page
• social media profiles and scheduled posts
• your voicemail message and email auto-reply (if applicable)
• signage at the premises (especially if you're "closed until 1pm")

If you take bookings, consider prompting customers at the point of booking that ANZAC Day has different trading arrangements.

4) Double-Check Your Refunds, Cancellations, And Customer Communications

Public holidays can trigger a spike in cancellations, no-shows, and delivery delays. This is where having clear customer-facing terms helps.

For example, if you take deposits, run events, or do appointment-based services, your Business Terms can set expectations around cancellation windows, public holiday surcharges (if any), and what happens if you need to reschedule.

If you sell goods B2B (like wholesale supply), your Terms of Trade can also clarify delivery timelines and public holiday delays so you're not arguing about what was "assumed".

What If You Trade When You Shouldn't? (Risks And Penalties For SMEs)

It's easy to treat ANZAC Day like "just another public holiday" and forget the trading restrictions. But from a compliance point of view, opening when you're not allowed to can create avoidable problems.

Common Risk Scenarios

• You open your retail shop at 9am because staff are available and you want to "make the most of the day", but your shop is not exempt.
• You run a caf? and retail store combined and start selling retail merchandise before 1pm without realising the retail component may be restricted depending on how the business is classified and operated.
• You operate a bottle store and sell alcohol before 1pm, without realising ANZAC Day can have specific alcohol sale/supply restrictions as well as licence-condition requirements.

Why It's Not Worth "Testing It"

Even where enforcement is not front-of-mind for some business owners, the bigger issue is that non-compliance tends to be obvious (you're either open or you're not), and it can quickly become a reputational issue as well.

From a practical perspective, it's usually cheaper and easier to:

• open at 1pm if you're restricted, or
• confirm an exemption applies before you advertise earlier hours.

If you're in a grey area (for example, you don't know whether your business counts as a "shop" for restricted trading purposes, or whether an exemption applies to your particular setup), get advice early. A quick check before ANZAC Day is much easier than trying to fix things after the fact.

How Does ANZAC Day Affect Staff Pay, Rosters, And Employment Obligations?

Even if shop trading restrictions don't apply to you, ANZAC Day is still a public holiday. That means your staffing plan needs to cover both operational needs and legal obligations.

In New Zealand, public holiday entitlements are largely governed by the Holidays Act 2003.

If Your Business Opens On ANZAC Day

If an employee works on ANZAC Day, you'll typically need to consider:

• Public holiday pay rates (often "time and a half" for hours worked)
• Alternative holidays (a day in lieu) if it's otherwise a working day for them
• Rostering and availability based on what their employment agreement says

This is where a properly set up Employment Contract helps, because it usually covers expected working days, overtime, penalty rates (if any), and how rosters are managed.

If Your Business Is Closed (Or Closed Until 1pm)

If your employee would otherwise have worked that day, they may still be entitled to be paid for the public holiday (even if you close).

If you're closing until 1pm due to trading restrictions, think carefully about how you roster staff:

• Will you roster a later shift only?
• Are you asking staff to attend a dawn service then start work?
• Are you trying to "swap" their day off to avoid public holiday pay issues? (This can be risky if not handled correctly.)

Because these questions can be very fact-specific, it's worth checking your obligations before you publish rosters-especially if you're changing hours in response to restricted trading rules.

Don't Forget Health And Safety (Even On A Public Holiday)

Public holiday trading can mean reduced staffing, less experienced staff on shift, or a higher customer rush once you open at 1pm.

Your obligations under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 don't take a day off just because it's a holiday. Clear processes matter, and this is where having sensible Workplace Policy documents can support training, incident management, and expectations (for example, fatigue management, closing procedures, and cash handling).

ANZAC Day Business Hours Checklist For Small Businesses

If you want a simple way to plan ANZAC Day trading, here's a practical checklist you can work through.

Legal And Compliance

• Confirm whether your business is restricted from trading before 1pm (and whether any exemptions or local area exemptions apply).
• If you sell alcohol, confirm what restrictions apply before 1pm and how they interact with your licence type and licence conditions.
• Check whether your local area has any specific exemptions that apply to your premises (for example, tourism-related exemptions).

Operations And Premises

• Review your lease or building rules to confirm you can access the premises and trade when you plan to (especially in malls/centres).
• Plan staffing around a likely "rush" period after 1pm if you're opening later than usual.
• Consider whether it's commercially worth opening on a public holiday once wage costs are factored in.

Staffing And Payroll

• Check employee entitlements for working on a public holiday (pay rates and alternative holidays).
• Send rosters out early and confirm who is actually available.
• Make sure your payroll process can handle public holiday rates correctly.

Customer Communication (And SEO)

• Update your Google Business Profile with accurate ANZAC Day opening hours.
• Update your website, socials, and signage so customers see consistent information.
• If you take bookings, add a clear ANZAC Day note to avoid confusion and no-shows.

Key Takeaways

• In New Zealand, ANZAC Day is a restricted trading day and many shops can't open until 1pm.
• Not every business is treated the same-some businesses (including some hospitality and essential services) may fall within exemptions, but it's important to confirm this for your specific setup before advertising morning trading.
• If you sell alcohol, ANZAC Day can involve extra restrictions (often affecting sales or supply before 1pm) and your licence conditions may add further requirements, so it's worth checking early.
• Even if you're allowed to open, ANZAC Day is still a public holiday, so staffing, payroll, and roster decisions need to reflect your obligations under the Holidays Act 2003.
• Your lease or building rules can also affect whether opening is practical or even possible, especially in shopping centres with controlled access.
• Clear customer communication (Google listing, website, signage) helps avoid confusion and captures customers searching for ANZAC Day business hours.

Note: This article is general information only and does not constitute legal advice. Because trading and alcohol rules can depend on your exact business model, location, and licensing conditions, it's a good idea to get advice specific to your situation.

If you'd like help working out whether your business can open, how to manage public holiday staffing, or how to set up your contracts and policies to protect you from day one, you can reach us at 0800 002 184 or team@sprintlaw.co.nz for a free, no-obligations chat.