Easter is one of the busiest trading periods of the year for grocery and liquor retailers. The four-day long weekend from Friday 3 April to Monday 6 April brings strong demand for food, entertaining essentials and beverages, but it also comes with trading restrictions that vary depending on where you are located.
This guide covers what you need to know whether you are trading in Australia or New Zealand.
The Easter 2026 dates
- Good Friday Friday 3 April (public holiday, Australia and New Zealand)
- Easter Saturday Saturday 4 April
- Easter Sunday Sunday 5 April
- Easter Monday Monday 6 April (public holiday, Australia and New Zealand)
Stock and supply planning
Easter is a peak demand period across several categories. Review your sales data from last Easter to inform your ordering, and confirm delivery schedules with suppliers now as lead times will tighten in late March.
For grocery retailers, the key categories are typically seafood and fresh fish for Good Friday, hot cross buns and Easter confectionery, lamb and proteins for Easter Sunday meals, and entertaining staples like cheese, dips and snacks.
For liquor retailers, focus on wine (particularly red and rosé), beer and cider, sparkling wine and Champagne, RTDs and pre-mixed drinks, and gift packs or premium options for the lead-up period.
Make sure you have adequate stock in before Good Friday as your trading window may be limited or closed on that day depending on your location.
Your Myfoodlink store
Easter is a good time to review how your online store is set up so customers are informed and you're not fielding unnecessary calls over the long weekend.
Close your delivery slots for days you're not trading
In the backoffice of your Myfoodlink store, go to the Deliveries page and use the date range arrows to find the days you'll be closed. Next to each delivery slot, click "stop accepting orders." This keeps your store live for future orders while blocking unavailable dates. Before closing any slots, check whether customers have already placed orders for those times as you'll need to honour them or arrange an alternative.
Add a pop-up message for your customers
Go to Settings, select "Special messages for customers" and click "New broadcast." Give the message an internal name, write a short message with your key dates, and set the "Show from" and "Show until" dates. Keep it brief as a single clear message is far more likely to be read than a long one.
Update your homepage
Add an image tile or banner to your store homepage with your Easter trading hours and order cut-off dates. Something simple and visual works well and means customers can see it without needing to read a pop-up.
Don't forget your marketplace listings
If you're on Uber Eats, Menulog or another third-party platform, update your availability and trading hours there too. This can't be done from the Myfoodlink backoffice, so you'll need to log into each marketplace portal separately.
A simple preparation checklist
The Easter long weekend comes around quickly. Getting the details sorted now means you can focus on serving customers well when it counts.
Trading hours reference: Australia and New Zealand
Trading restrictions over Easter vary by state, territory and in New Zealand by local council. We have pulled together a summary below as a handy reference. Always confirm your specific obligations with your relevant authority before the long weekend.
Australia: trading restrictions by state
Good Friday is the most restricted trading day, and liquor retailers face additional constraints on top of standard retail rules. The summary below reflects the general position for each state. Always verify your specific obligations with your relevant state authority, as rules can vary by store size, licence type and location.
| State/Territory | Good Friday | Easter Saturday | Easter Sunday | Notes for liquor retailers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New South Wales | Restricted. Non-exempt shops must close. | No general restrictions. | Restricted. Most non-exempt shops must close. | Takeaway liquor stores must close on restricted trading days under the Retail Trading Act 2008 and the Liquor Act 2007. |
| Victoria | Restricted. Most retailers must close. | No general restrictions. | Generally open trading day. | Check with the Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation for additional conditions on restricted days. |
| Queensland | Closed day for non-exempt shops. | No general restrictions. | Closed day for larger retailers. Small independent grocers largely unrestricted. | Liquor shops are exempt from shop trading hour restrictions but subject to separate licensing conditions. |
| South Australia | Restricted. | No general restrictions. | Limited to specific areas including parts of the Adelaide CBD, typically 11am to 5pm. | Check with Consumer and Business Services SA for your obligations. |
| Western Australia | Restricted. | No general restrictions. | Greater Perth area typically restricted to 11am to 5pm. | Contact the WA Department of Local Government, Industry Regulation and Safety for current requirements. |
| Tasmania | Restricted. | No general restrictions. | No general restrictions. | Easter Tuesday is a restricted public holiday for some awards and the State Public Service. Check with WorkSafe Tasmania. |
| ACT | No restrictions. Trading hours are deregulated. | No restrictions. | No restrictions. | No additional liquor restrictions noted. |
| Northern Territory | No restrictions. Trading hours are deregulated. | No restrictions. | No restrictions. | Takeaway liquor sales are prohibited on Good Friday. Specific conditions apply to restaurant and bar licence holders on that day. |
Trading hour information referenced from the Australian Retailers Association. For state-specific detail, visit retail.org.au.
New Zealand: trading rules for Easter
Easter trading in New Zealand is a little more involved than a simple open or closed answer, particularly around Easter Sunday. The rules depend on your store type, your location and your local council's policy.
| Day | Status | What it means for your store |
|---|---|---|
| Good Friday 3 April | Public holiday and restricted trading day. | Most shops must close. Limited exemptions apply for certain store types and locations. Check the full exemptions list at retail.kiwi. |
| Easter Saturday 4 April | No restrictions. | Shops can trade normally. |
| Easter Sunday 5 April | Restricted trading day. Not a public holiday. | Whether you can open depends on your local council's Shop Trading Policy and your store type. Check your council's position at retail.kiwi. If you plan to open, you must notify employees in writing of their right to refuse to work. See the notice deadline below. |
| Easter Monday 6 April | Public holiday. | Any shop can open, but standard public holiday entitlements apply to all employees who work. |
New Zealand trading information sourced from govt.nz and Retail NZ. Confirm your specific obligations with your local council and Employment New Zealand.
Please note: The trading restrictions summarised above are based on publicly available information and reflect the general position in each location. Rules can vary by store size, licence type and local council policy. Confirm your specific obligations with your relevant authority before the long weekend.