Quebec tests out keeping stores open until 8 p.m. on weekends

How does being out shopping for clothes on a Saturday night sound?

The Quebec government has approved a pilot project to allow retail stores in three cities to stay open until 8 p.m. on weekends, and it wants to see how the change will affect consumers as well as employees.

Three cities were chosen for the experiment: Laval, which is just north of Montreal, Gatineau and Saint-Georges in the Chaudière-Appalaches region. The new rule is expected to be in place by late summer or early fall.

"We are the only jurisdiction in North America that has legislation to sort of control business hours this way. The question is, should the government be involved in that discussion? I think it's a philosophical question," said Christopher Skeete, the province's junior economy minister who announced the pilot project on Wednesday.

"Online business is now 24 hours a day. So we have to allow our businesses the opportunity to be more competitive in a market that is now worldwide."

WATCH | Quebec tests out weekend late-night shopping: 

Want Quebec stores to stay open later on weekends? You might get your wish

2 days ago

Duration 2:01

Most Quebec stores are legally obliged to close by 5 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays, but the province is testing the idea of allowing them to stay open three hours later in three cities.

Typically, grocery stores and restaurants are among the only establishments in Quebec that remain open past 5 p.m. during weekends. The pilot project does not force stores to stay open until 8 p.m., but it gives them the option.

Skeete said he's been in touch with Cadillac Fairview, a real estate company that owns several shopping malls in across Canada, including Carrefour Laval. 

That mall is currently open between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Saturday and between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Sunday. 

"What they're telling me is they'll look into the possibility of opening later — because there's not a lot of foot traffic between 10 a.m. and noon — and to close later," said Skeete, while highlighting the fact that the shift in opening hours could provide a boost to restaurants in food courts. 

Michel Rochette, the Quebec president of the Retail Council of Canada, said he welcomes the flexibility the new rules would give to shop owners.

"They know better what clients they have, what customers they need to give service to, what kind of product they can sell more on one day instead of another day," Rochette said.

"It's a question of trust and retailers know better what kind of capacity they have."

The three cities included in the pilot project were chosen for distinct reasons: the City of Gatineau's geographic proximity to Ontario, Laval's status as a retail hub and Saint-Georges as an example of a local economy that operates away from larger cities. 

Skeete also said he handles about 40 requests per year from businesses who want exemptions to rules about opening hours. 

The pilot project would be evaluated when it's over and the Quebec government will determine if the measure should be expanded to the rest of the province.