n [ U ]
the practice of opening shops for business on Sundays. Traditionally, most British shops did not open on Sundays except for newsagents and some corner shops . In the past, even pubs could only open for a few hours on Sunday afternoon and evening. In the 1980s and 1990s the government made the laws on Sunday trading less strict, allowing pubs and small shops to open all day, and large shops such as supermarkets to open for six hours. Now major shopping centres such as Oxford Street in London are busy seven days a week. Some religious groups are still opposed to all forms of Sunday trading.
In the US, individual states and sometimes counties make the laws on Sunday trading. Some businesses, such as restaurants and petrol/gasoline stations, have opened on Sunday through most of the 20th century. Many other businesses started to open on Sunday in the 1960s, though religious groups have opposed this. In some parts of the country it is illegal to sell alcohol on Sunday.