Shops in Germany push for more freedom to open on Sundays

By law, shops in Germany generally have to remain closed on Sundays. Regulations allow for irregular Sunday openings (so-called Sonntagsöffnungen), but these vary across the country and are subject to maximum limits. The German Retail Association is therefore calling for more flexibility. 

HDE wants more freedom for shops to open on Sundays

Municipalities and individual retailers in Germany should be given more freedom to decide when and how often they want to open on Sundays, Alexander von Preen, the president of the German Retail Association (HDE), told the Funke Media Group.

He explained that the current system, which enables individual federal states to regulate shop opening hours, has led to a patchwork of rules and is confusing for retailers. Infrequent Sunday openings are allowed, but have to be tied to a specific “event” - such as an anniversary or seasonal sale - and are subject to the approval of local authorities, which is not always given. 

Indeed, a 2024 survey by the Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK) in North Rhine-Westphalia found that “regulatory authorities and politicians often have a negative attitude towards applications for Sunday openings because they fear lawsuits from unions and churches. This rubs off on retailers: they don’t even dare to apply for Sunday openings because they fear a negative decision.” 

IHK says Sunday openings are important for city centres

The IHK and HDE are both arguing the same thing - businesses need more flexibility to plan their Sunday opening hours. “We finally need more legal certainty regarding possible Sunday openings in our cities,” von Preen said.

He also called for the maximum cap on Sunday openings to be abolished, saying: “Businesses need the freedom to decide [when to open on Sundays]... we should simply let the companies decide independently, taking into account what is right and possible at each location.” 

The IHK and HDE both argue that Sunday openings are beneficial for communities. In a press release from 2020, the HDE said that occasional Sunday openings “make an important contribution to maintaining vibrant city centres”.

However, any move to increase Sunday opening hours is likely to face strong opposition from unions, who fiercely argue against any encroachment on the “rule of weekends off work”, which is enshrined in the German Working Hours Act.