Thursday, October 17
Berlin wants to double the number of shopping Sundays per year
In an attempt to bolster the retail sector and attract more international consumers, Berlin’s Mayor, Kai Wegner (CDU), wants to allow retailers to open on Sundays more often throughout the year.
“We have to make sure that they are legally permitted eight opening days in Berlin,” said Wegner on Monday evening at an event organized by Messe Berlin, Wall GmbH and Berliner Morgenpost.
Currently, shops in Berlin are legally allowed to open their doors only four Sundays a year. According to Wegner, he has already held talks on this issue with the Economics Senator Franziska Griffey (SPD) and Finance Senator Stefan Evers (CDU), stating, “People come to Berlin and are surprised that KaDeWe is closed.”
Berlin’s legally enforced ‘Sunday rest’ means that shops must generally be closed on the seventh day of the week, with the exception of a few pharmacies and petrol stations.
The exact dates of Berlin’s shopping Sundays change, but there are two remaining this year: on December 8, for the opening of the largest Christmas Markets, and on December 22, the last Sunday before before Christmas.
