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Germany weighs Sunday shopping rules as it seeks to boost competitiveness
A July competitiveness package would change only federal working time rules, keeping shop opening hours set by Germany’s 16 states, amid criticism from retailers and business groups.
Germany is revisiting its long-standing Sunday rest tradition as policymakers and retailers debate whether the rules fit an economy focused on regaining competitiveness amid pressure from Chinese imports, according to SCMP Economy.
The latest flashpoint came in early July, when the German coalition government unveiled a measures package aimed at boosting competitiveness, but the reform only touches federal working-time rules. Shop opening hours remain governed by the country’s 16 states, leaving the broader question of Sunday store closures largely unchanged.
German retail and business associations have argued the changes do not go far enough. Peter Adrian, president of the German Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said the shop closing law is a relic and argued that retailers should be able to decide whether to open stores on Sundays.
Under the current framework, after six days of almost unrestricted shopping, supermarket doors close on Sundays, with narrow exceptions including petrol stations, emergency duty pharmacies, limited-hour bakeries, and shops at railway stations, airports, and in designated tourist areas.