Banks open Monday to Friday, 9.30am to 4.30pm, with some city branches opening on Saturday mornings (until 12.30pm). Shops are usually open Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm, and until noon on Saturday. Late-night shopping until 8 or 9pm on Thursday and Friday nights is becoming more common, and many tourist-orientated shops are open daily until 8pm as a matter of course. In larger towns and cities, many shops stay open on Saturday afternoons and Sundays .

An ever-increasing number of supermarkets (at least one in or near each major city) now open seven days a week, 24 hours a day and small " dairies " (corner shops or convenience stores) also keep long hours and open on Sundays. Museums and sights usually open around 9am, although small-town museums often open only in the afternoons and/or only on specific days.