A bid to deregulate shop trading hours in South Australia has failed in state parliament but the government has vowed to continue to fight to change the "silly" rules.
The measures were voted down by the Labor opposition and crossbench MPs in the upper house on Thursday despite late efforts by Treasurer Rob Lucas to seek support for the legislation.
The government wanted to completely free up trading laws to allow all shops to open up to 24 hours a day in what was a signature commitment taken to the March state election.
"Sadly, the reality is the silly laws are going to have to be enforced," Mr Lucas told reporters.
"But that doesn't prevent a government from continuing to campaign right through to the next election, arguing for something it believes in passionately.
"Particularly when it knows that 75 per cent of people out there want to see greater freedom of choice."
Business SA said it was dismayed and disappointed by the vote.
"In this 24-hour world of consumerism, allowing shops to open when it suits them on weekends and public holidays would have helped level the playing field for those competing against online international retailers," spokesman Anthony Penney said.
"How can we grow the economy if consumers can't support local traders when they're closed?"
But Colin Shearing from the Independent Retailers Association described the proposals as anti-small business and said if the changes had been approved it would have been a "disaster".
Opposition Leader Peter Malinauskas said Labor believed the existing laws, which restricted trading for some stores on weekends and public holidays, represented a good balance.
"I know there are a lot of small business owners in the retail sector who are very relieved," he said.
