How we check opening hours

Every answer on Is It Open NZ covers one store or service on one day. For each one we look for a source we can link to, and if we can't find one we say so. Here's exactly how that works.

1. Dates

Public holiday and anniversary day dates come from Employment New Zealand's public holidays and anniversary dates. Our build checks every date against a saved copy of that table. It also checks the rules: Easter, Labour Day (the fourth Monday in October), King's Birthday (the first Monday in June) and Mondayisation, where Waitangi Day, Anzac Day, Christmas, Boxing Day and the New Year holidays move to a Monday or Tuesday if they fall at a weekend. The build stops if anything doesn't match.

2. Where answers come from

The company's own announcements. Opening-hours pages, store finders, press releases and published service schedules, such as NZ Post's mail delivery days.
New Zealand law, read on legislation.govt.nz. Under the Shop Trading Hours Act 1990, most shops must close all day on Good Friday, Easter Sunday and Christmas Day, and until 1pm on Anzac Day (Employment New Zealand explains the rules). Some shops are exempt, such as dairies, service stations, pharmacies, takeaways and garden centres on Easter Sunday. Councils can also adopt an Easter Sunday shop trading policy. Off-licences (bottle stores and supermarkets) can't sell alcohol on those days or before 1pm on Anzac Day (Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012, section 48, as amended in 2026). When the law closes a shop, we say "Closed", link the law and note the exemptions.
Trade or news reports are never used as an answer. If one is useful context, we label it clearly and the answer stays "Check local".

We don't use crowd-sourced lists, other "what's open" sites, or last year's hours presented as this year's.

3. What each answer means

Open A source says the store or service is open. If the source gives hours, we show them.
Limited Open with restrictions, such as shops opening from 1pm on Anzac Day.
Closed The company says it's closed, or the law requires the shop to close.
Depends Easter Sunday: shops must close unless your council has a local Easter Sunday trading policy that covers your area.
Check local We couldn't find an official answer yet. This is not a guess that it's open or closed.

4. Sources and "last checked" dates

Every answer lists its sources with a link and the date we last checked them. Right now 95 of 992 answers have a confirmed source. Pages without a confirmed answer are kept out of search engines until one is published. The last full check was 2026-10-16.

5. When we update

Before every public holiday, because each chain publishes its holiday opening hours on its own timetable.
When you tell us. Corrections are checked against an official source and applied.

6. Limits

Chain-wide answers can't cover every location. Franchises, mall stores and shops in airports and hospitals can keep their own hours. Some areas, such as Queenstown, Paihia and Picton, have exemptions to trade on restricted days (list of area exemptions). Companies can also change plans at short notice. If it matters, check the store's page in the company's store finder. Every answer page links to it.

7. Corrections

Found a mistake? Email info@isitopen.co.nz with the store, the day, where you are and, if you can, a link to the official source. See Contact.