Germany weighs ending century-old Sunday shopping ban to boost economy

Calls are growing in Germany — where the constitution guarantees the right to rest on public holidays — to fully lift the ban on Sunday trading. Proponents argue that restrictions more than a century old are out of step with the times and hurt domestic consumption and tourism.

Christoph Ploss, the federal government's tourism coordinator and a member of the Christian Democratic Union, said in an interview with the Funke Media Group on Tuesday that "whether vacationers choose Germany also depends on attractive shops and shopping opportunities," adding that flexible opening hours would help brick-and-mortar retailers keep pace with online competitors.

Wolfgang Kubicki, leader of the pro-business Free Democratic Party, also said flexibility was urgently needed. "Anyone who wants to force shops to close has no right to complain about dying city centers," he said, arguing that easing trading restrictions was essential to stimulating domestic demand.

Germany's Basic Law states that Sundays and public holidays recognized by the state are protected by law as days of rest from work and of spiritual renewal. The provision was carried over from the religion-related articles of the Weimar Constitution, enacted in 1919. Restaurants and shops inside train stations and airports may open on Sundays under federal and state law.

The debate was triggered when the federal government unveiled what it called a reform package on Thursday as part of its economic revival measures. The coalition plans to amend the Working Hours Act to allow bakeries to open for up to eight hours on Sundays and public libraries for up to six hours, starting in January next year. The German Retail Association and other trade groups quickly seized on the announcement, arguing that "shopping is a form of leisure" and calling for Sunday trading restrictions to be lifted for all shops, not just bakeries.

Religious and labor groups, however, are pushing back. The Catholic Workers' Movement issued a statement saying that "a Sunday without shopping is an essential breathing space for workers, consumers, the environment and the climate," and that it is "not a relic of the past but a designated time for rest and mental recovery."