Austrian retailers demand: Longer opening hours for more sales!

Austrian retailers demand: Longer opening hours for more sales!

The dispute over shop opening times in Austria and Germany is coming to a head! In Austria, the REWE boss is calling for opening times to be liberalized in order to adapt retail to the needs of modern consumers. “The opening time regulation is nostalgic nonsense,” says Haraszti, who would like to see it extended from the current maximum of 72 to 80 hours per week between Monday and Saturday. Loud noe.ORF.at He also emphasizes that a general Sunday opening is not planned, as the existing tourism zones with Sunday opening are sufficient.

However, the unions and many traders are vehemently against it. Martin Müllauer, chairman of the GPA, warns that extending opening hours would only increase stress for employees, who are already suffering from work pressure. The trade association also rejects the demand. Its managing director Rainer Will makes it clear that an increase to 80 hours is “not capable of gaining a majority”. The drugstore chain dm and the discount chain Hofer share this opinion and support the current status quo.

A look at Germany

In Germany, the debate about longer opening hours and Sunday work is also hotly debated. The German Trade Association (HDE) highlights that the liberalization of opening times in food retail has had a positive impact on consumer purchasing behavior, especially after work in the evenings. Nevertheless, there is resistance: The ver.di union and the church are against expanding Sunday openings because they see a healthy work-life balance for employees as a priority fr.de reported.

These differences in the consideration of opening times show how important it is to find the balance between economic interests and employee rights. In both countries there is a desire for more flexibility in retail, but the challenges for employees and smaller companies in competition remain a central issue.