Leaders of major retail chains have called for a total shutdown of non-essential services in Australia, criticising the Government’s piecemeal approach to restricting trade, saying it has led to confusion and put retailers in a vulnerable position if they choose to close on their own.

“I’m really angry the government hasn’t done something,” Justin Levis, Cue’s executive director, told The Australian Financial Review on Friday.

Levis said retailers have been put in a difficult position, because they aren’t generating enough sales to pay rent and wages, but they don’t have the protection of a Government mandate if they choose to close stores and stand down staff.

Still, Cue has decided to close stores and shut down concessions across Australia starting tomorrow.

It joins a long list of major retail chains that have already done so, including Michael Hill, Mosaic Brands, Premier Investments, Accent Group and Lovisa.

Accent Group CEO Daniel Agostinelli and Lovisa CEO Shane Fallscheer said they wanted the Government to shut down non-essential retail.

“To me it’s absolutely irresponsible the shopping centres are still open,” Agostinelli told the AFR.

Fallscheer said he “would support a full lockdown of shopping centres”.

Mosaic Brands chair Richard Facioni told The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald, that the incremental approach was just prolonging the agony: “Let’s get this over and done with, just go into a shutdown”.

As of Friday, the list of retailers closing stores and standing down staff has grown to include Kathmandu, Adairs, PAS Group, Hush Puppies, Honey Birdette and more.