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Santa to steam on through Santa will arrive in style at Sunday’s Tinwald Christmas Festival. FULL STORY
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New trading hours urged Step into the 21st century, says Ashburton retailer BY SUE NEWMAN
SUE.N@THEGUARDIAN.CO.NZ
It’s time Ashburton’s retailers stepped into the 21st century and increased their trading hours in the lead-up to Christmas – and perhaps all year around, retailers suggest. Ashburton Arcade retailer Bob
McDonald said he’s battled for years to have Ashburton’s retailers adopt the same trading hours in the pre-Christmas weeks and every year the suggestion has got a pretty apathetic reaction. “There needs to be some form of cohesiveness with hours in town. “People want the whole
town to be open, not just part of it,” he said. Mr McDonald does have supporters, including Terry McNab from Ashburton Paper Plus. He does keep his doors open late during the festive season, and he even reckons there’s scope for longer opening hours
all year round. “It’s not just Monday to Friday now, and 9am til 5pm, or 5.30pm. Those days are gone,” he said. Arcade retailers have already set their trading hours for December and these will include a late night on December 4,
trading until 4pm on Saturday December 13, until 4.30pm on Saturday December 20 and from 10am until 3pm on Sunday December 21. In addition on December 22 and 23, the arcade will be open until 8pm each night. continued page 3 Ph 03 307 7900 to subscribe!
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