The group of FDP members in the parliament. - Stores without employees face the pressure to implement changes.
The FDP's state parliamentary faction is advocating for immediate changes in law to accommodate self-service stores that operate without staff. Faction leader Andreas Silbersack told the German Press Agency, "We've brought this up with our coalition partners, and we're hoping for a swift implementation." He emphasized the need to amend the Shop Opening Hours Act to permit Sunday openings in these stores.
At the beginning of the year, the State Administration Office distributed a memo to the trade authorities, specifying that 24/7 self-service stores would have to shut down from 8 pm on Saturday and all day on Sunday. Such establishments include ones in Wörlitz (Wittenberg district) and Görzig (Anhalt-Bitterfeld district), which can be accessed round the clock with customer cards.
Silbersack, who recently visited Görzig, shared his observations, noting that the store was bustling on Sunday with zero staff present. "People said hello and chatted. It offers customers the chance to shop in rural areas, and they're very appreciative," he said. He finds it puzzling why these self-service shops are restricted while those at gas stations continue to expand. "When I go to the station in Halle on Sunday, I feel like I'm in the mall of Dubai. Some stores are so crowded that people are stepping on each other's feet. This doesn't align with the needs of people in rural areas."
The Ministry of Economics in Magdeburg is supportive of revisiting the Shop Opening Hours Act. A spokesperson for Minister Sven Schulze (CDU) explained that the law's two protective goals—protecting employees and Sundays and holidays—wouldn't be compromised by these changes. "The goal of protecting employees through staff deployment on Sundays doesn't apply in a staff-free shop," he asserted. "However, eliminating staff deployment on Sundays doesn't eliminate the goal of protecting Sundays and holidays."
The ministry is examining whether smaller markets in rural areas can open on Sundays under certain constraints. The SPD is also amenable to the idea but cautions, "However, it's uncertain whether a change in state law is enough for this opening," Pähle, the SPD faction leader, commented. "What's important is that the opening be confined to stores that can operate on Sundays without staff." She further reiterated, "Sunday rest is crucial, and it shouldn't become the norm for someone to be working or stocking shelves on Sundays. There must be limitations."
