A new front has opened in the shopping hours revolution with an IGA supermarket in Applecross set to open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Owner Greg Brindle said yesterday: "We'd like to go 24 hours on December 1 and we are keen to trial it over the summer."
But the final decision would not be made until early next month, Mr Brindle said.
It is believed the store would be the first "full-line" supermarket in Perth to open all hours, which it can because it is classified as a small retail shop with fewer than 18 full-time staff on the shopfloor at any time.
Sunday trading was launched across Perth less than a week ago. Despite the change, Mr Brindle said there was still public uncertainty over when shops were open.
"This takes the uncertainty out of the equation and our marketing spin will be 'We never sleep'," he said.
Chamber of Commerce chief James Pearson said it showed how shopkeepers who knew their markets could give customers choice and convenience.
"I hope one day all shops will have the choice to and be able to take advantage of it," Mr Pearson said.
The store is formally known as Canning Bridge IGA Plus Liquor and opens 7am to 10pm seven days a week. Liquor sales are not available until 8am on weekdays and Saturday and 10am on Sundays. The store is next to the Swan River, among restaurants and pubs and is adjacent to the Canning Highway exit of the Kwinana freeway.
Traffic from Burswood Casino heading south along Canning Highway also passes the store.
The store's general manager, Deryck Kippen, predicted trade during the new late night-early morning regime would be slow at first, and there would not be many customers between midnight and 5am.
But he expected more turnover, generated by shift workers and early risers, between 10pm and midnight and after 5am.
He said the store already employed nightfill staff. "We'll just need an extra couple of checkout (workers)," he said.
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