Easter 2025: Supermarkets are also open here on public holidays!

Easter 2025: Supermarkets are also open here on public holidays!

The upcoming Easter weekend brings special regulations regarding opening hours in the supermarkets in Austria. In many parts of the country, numerous shops close on Monday, which is a holiday, which ultimately leads to two consecutive closing days. As reported Kosmo, the Holy Saturday in Carinthia is affected by different opening hours. The majority of the supermarkets, including large chains such as Billa, Spar and Lidl, opened for customers on Holy Saturday until 6 p.m. However, the majority of business remains closed in the period from Easter Sunday to Easter Monday. Lidl and Hofer in particular pull down the curtains on these holidays. However, exceptions are some Spar- and Billa branches that remain open at special locations such as traffic hubs, train stations or airports.

Exceptions for supermarkets

Legal regulations in Austria allow supermarkets and tobacco to be open to be open on Sundays and public holidays under certain conditions. The most common exception refers to supermarkets that are considered "travel provisions", in particular in central locations such as Central Station City. In tourism zones, these shops can also open to serve the needs of travelers and tourists. This regulation applies during the entire Easter weekend.

The Rewe Group, which includes both Billa and Spar, states that only special markets are open on the holidays-some only on Easter Sunday, others on both days. One example is the Billa Corso in the Herrnhuterhaus in Vienna, which has Sunday openings due to its connected restaurant.

special locations and legal aspects

The legal requirements for opening times are strict and stipulate that parts of the range must be sealed off in specially approved branches on Sunday - as defined in a court ruling of 2021. In various federal states, including Vorarlberg, Tyrol and Salzburg, there are also supermarket branches that are open on certain days, mostly at travel centers or in tourist areas.

The upcoming holidays not only ensure declines in the availability of food in ordinary shops, but also offer an opportunity for travelers to do their purchases at strategically cheap locations. This applies particularly to the coming holidays such as Easter Monday and Whit Monday, whose data vary and represent important shopping days. At least until the shops are closed on Christmas Eve at around 1 p.m., the planning of purchases has become a central topic for many people in Austria.