Calls are growing in Germany to ease the more than 100-year-old ban on Sunday store operations. As the German economy sinks into a prolonged slump, critics say the outdated rule is blocking a recovery in domestic demand.
On the 19th (local time), according to the Telegraph and others in the United Kingdom, Germany's retail sector recently asked the government to lift the ban on Sunday trading. Earlier, the federal government announced a plan to revise the Working Hours Act so that, starting in January next year, bakeries can open for up to eight hours on Sundays and public libraries for up to six hours. The retail industry, however, says Sunday trading should be allowed not only for bakeries but also for other shops.
Germany's Basic Law (constitution) stipulates that "Sundays and public holidays recognized by the state are protected by law as days of rest from labor and for spiritual uplift." Related federal and state laws reflect this, so most retail shops, except for restaurants and stores in train stations and airports, are barred from opening on Sundays. Some outlets may sell only basic necessities in a limited way, such as bread and drinks, snacks, cigarettes, and alcohol.
The retail industry criticizes the very standard of "spiritual uplift," which underpins the Sunday trading ban, as vague. They argue it is unfair to allow doctors, pilots, bus and taxi drivers, restaurant and museum staff, journalists, police officers, and even massage therapists to work on Sundays while blocking only retail workers from doing so.
Martina Tittel, who runs two bookstores and a publishing house in Berlin, told the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), "Why is it allowed to eat ice cream or go bowling but not to buy a novel?" and added, "Germany is a secular state. People who want to go to church can go to church, and people who want to shop can shop."
Stefan Genth, managing director at the German Retail Association (HDE), also criticized, saying, "The economy is in very difficult shape and consumer sentiment is depressed—so is it really right to prevent people who want to work from working?"
The political world is also lending support to calls for deregulation. Christoph Floss, the federal government's tourism coordinator from the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), said in an interview with Funke Media Group earlier this month, "Whether tourists choose Germany as a destination also depends on attractive stores and a shopping environment," adding, "Only by operating opening hours flexibly will retailers not fall behind in competition with online players."
Wolfgang Kubicki of the pro-business Free Democratic Party (FDP) also said, "Securing flexibility in opening hours is urgent," and argued, "Those who want to force shops to close should not complain that downtown commercial districts are declining."
However, easing the Sunday trading rules would have to overcome strong opposition from churches and labor. The WSJ reported that the reason successive German governments have been reluctant to revise the rules is a bipartisan opposition alliance built by Christian groups and labor unions.