DON’T MISS
IamExpat FairIamExpat Job BoardIamExpat Webinars
Newsletters
EXPAT INFO
CAREER
HOUSING
EDUCATION
LIFESTYLE
EXPAT SERVICES
NEWS & ARTICLES
Home
Lifestyle
German news & articles
Shops in Germany push for more freedom to open on Sundays
Never miss a thing!Sign up for our weekly newsletters with important news stories, expat events and special offers.
Keep me updated with exclusive offers from partner companies
By signing up, you agree that we may process your information in accordance with our privacy policy

Shops in Germany push for more freedom to open on Sundays

Never miss a thing!Sign up for our weekly newsletters with important news stories, expat events and special offers.
Keep me updated with exclusive offers from partner companies
By signing up, you agree that we may process your information in accordance with our privacy policy
or
follow us for regular updates:



Related Stories

September 2021: 6 changes affecting expats in GermanySeptember 2021: 6 changes affecting expats in Germany
New law should make it easier to cancel contracts in GermanyNew law should make it easier to cancel contracts in Germany
March 2021: 9 changes affecting expats in GermanyMarch 2021: 9 changes affecting expats in Germany
Explained: Germany's new mask rule for public transport & shopsExplained: Germany's new mask rule for public transport & shops
November 2020: 8 changes affecting expats in GermanyNovember 2020: 8 changes affecting expats in Germany
September 2020: 6 changes affecting expats in GermanySeptember 2020: 6 changes affecting expats in Germany
May 2020: 9 changes affecting expats in GermanyMay 2020: 9 changes affecting expats in Germany
2020 in Germany: All of the changes expats need to know about2020 in Germany: All of the changes expats need to know about
For expats of all colours, shapes and sizes

Explore
Expat infoCareerHousingEducationLifestyleExpat servicesNews & articles
About us
IamExpat MediaAdvertisePost a jobContact usImpressumSitemap
More IamExpat
IamExpat Job BoardIamExpat HousingIamExpat FairWebinarsNewsletters
Privacy
Terms of usePrivacy policyCookiesAvoiding scams

Never miss a thing!Sign up for expat events, news & offers, delivered once a week.
Keep me updated with exclusive offers from partner companies
By signing up, you agree that we may process your information in accordance with our privacy policy


© 2025 IamExpat Media B.V.
© 2025 IamExpat Media B.V.
Mar 27, 2025
Abi Carter

Editor in chief at IamExpat Media

Abi studied German and History at the University of Manchester and has since lived in Berlin, Hamburg and Utrecht, working since 2017 as a writer, editor and content marketeer. Although she's happily taken on some German and Dutch quirks, she keeps a stash of Yorkshire Tea on hand, because nowhere does a brew quite like home.Read more

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.  

By Abi Carter