On which Sundays this December are the shops open in Germany?

Shops in Germany are allowed to open on certain Sundays in the run-up to Christmas. Here's rundown of the remaining verkaufsoffene Sonntage in December 2025:

What is verkaufsoffener Sonntag?

Typically, shops and supermarkets in Germany are closed on Sundays and public holidays. But what happens when preparation for a public holiday is widely considered to necessitate lots of shopping? The answer is verkaufsoffener Sonntag (literally “open for business Sunday”).

On a select number of Sundays in November and December, shops are open so that people can buy Christmas presents and whatever else they need for the big day. However, verkaufsoffene Sonntage occur on different days in different federal states and cities.

Verkaufsoffene Sonntage in December 2025

Hamburg, Frankfurt and Stuttgart have already had their last verkaufsoffene Sonntage in November. But the remaining seven of the 10 largest German cities have at least one more verkaufsoffener Sonntag in December:

Berlin

Residents in Berlin can head to the shops on Sundays, December 7 and December 21, 2025. Most shops will be open from 1pm until 6pm, with some open until 8pm.

Cologne and Dortmund

Residents in Cologne and Dortmund can head to the shops on Sunday, December 7, for the last local verkaufsoffener Sonntag of 2025.

Düsseldorf

On Sunday, December 7, shops in the Benrath, Kaiserswerth, Oberkassel, Eller and Pempelfort neighbourhoods of Düssedorf will all be open.

Munich

Things are slightly different in Munich. The last verkaufsoffener Sonntag of the year happened in Munich on November 28. However, on Saturday, December 13, many shops in the city will be open until midnight.

Essen

The shops in Essen city centre will be open one extra day for locals on Sunday, December 14.

Leipzig

Residents in Leipzig will have an extra opportunity to tie up the loose ends of their Christmas shopping on December 21, when shops will be open from 1pm until 6pm.

Check your local authority website for more information

If you live in a smaller German city and would like to take advantage of verkaufsoffene Sonntage in December, check your local authority’s website for more information. Top tip: In some cases, verkaufsoffener Sonntag may not apply to the whole city, but certain districts.