Saul said yesterday.

Dr. Saul made his comment after a meeting with representatives of the Island's largest supermarkets.

"They do have a case,'' Dr. Saul told The Royal Gazette last night. "They say it's convenient to shop on Sunday and the volume of business being done on Sunday is now much more than one-seventh of the total volume.'' The stores "don't have a common policy'', but "they have a common concern'', Dr. Saul said. "They are losing business, and that is a very strong motivator.'' The large stores "wish to have the law either one way or the other'', Dr.

Saul said. Either "it's all open, or it's all closed.

"There's got to be a compromise on this that's fair and reasonable to everyone,'' he said. "There will have to be some modifications to the present position.'' Dr. Saul said he would study the issue, discuss the matter with Cabinet and the United Bermuda Party caucus, and likely meet again with the supermarket owners in about three weeks.

The Minister said the large supermarkets received no promises from his Ministry when they on Wednesday withdrew their threat to open illegally tomorrow.

"It's just that if somebody's going to speed down the road, before they do it unilaterally, they should just check with the authorities,'' he said.

It was "commendable'' of the stores to decide not to open, he said. "We would have just gotten an injunction, and they would have ended up in Supreme Court.'' Four MarketPlace Ltd. stores, White & Sons. Ltd. in Warwick, and The Supermart Ltd. on Front Street said on Tuesday they would open this Sunday. The news was greeted with an injunction threat from Dr. Saul and anger from the Bermuda Industrial Union and the Island's churches.

A day later, the stores said they would remain closed but enter talks with Government on holiday trading policy.

Under the current policy, stores can apply to the Registrar of Companies for a permit to open up to 2,500 square feet on Sundays.

Mr. Tredick Gorham of The Supermart, one of the owners that met with Dr. Saul yesterday morning, said he favours a policy under which all stores could open.

"Sunday business was always a small business in Bermuda and nobody even thought about it,'' Mr. Gorham said. "It's no longer a small business.'' He said 18 food stores are now opening on Sundays, and some of them do not have permits.

Harrington Hundreds owner Mr. Anthony Aguiar conceded he does not have a permit to open on Sunday. But he said his permit is pending.

Dr. Saul confirmed that no action will be taken against the Smith's grocer if he opens as usual this Sunday. "Their permit is pending,'' he said. "They will receive a permit for 2,500 square feet.'' Dr. Saul believes Harrington Hundreds is restricting the area of the store it opens each Sunday to meet the Government policy.