Sydney shops given permission to stay open 24 hours in the lead-up to Christmas

Retailers across Sydney will have the option to stay open 24 hours a day in the lead-up to Christmas, giving shoppers no excuse not to be organised this festive season.

From today, retailers in the CBD, Bondi Junction, and major shopping centres in the city's west are allowed to trade all day and night.

It's the first time traders have been able to stay open around the clock this early in December.

Planning Minister Pru Goward said previously retailers were forced to make applications with the planning department for Christmas trading hours.

"Previously shops would be required to either lodge a new development application or modify their existing planning approval with their local council which, on average has taken 68 days to be approved," she told the Daily Telegraph.

"This costs our retailers valuable time and money when trying to apply for a planning approval.

"This has meant smaller retailers, in the past, would not bother making the effort to extend their trading hours for just two weeks of the year."

Shopping centres include the CBD, Parramatta, Bondi Junction, Penrith and Liverpool.

The extended hours will run right up to Christmas Day.