From Bakers to Bookshelves: Germany’s Sunday-Trading Debate Heats Up as a Third of the Country Now Wants More Shop Time

German support for relaxed Sunday shopping hours rises to 43% ahead of 2027 reform, sparking political debate over worker rights and retail competition.

Public sentiment in Germany is slowly tilting in favour of relaxed Sunday opening hours, even as a clear majority remains opposed. A YouGov survey conducted on 8 July 2026 found that 43 percent of respondents now support more frequent Sunday trading, up from 34 percent in summer 2025. Those against the idea dropped from 59 to 50 percent over the same period.

The poll captures the mood as Germany’s black-red coalition government prepares a reform package scheduled to take effect from 1 January 2027. The proposed changes would give bakeries, confectioneries and public libraries permission to open for significantly longer periods on Sundays than current rules allow.

Under existing law, bakeries and pastry shops may open for three hours on a Sunday. The new legislation would extend that window to eight hours. At the same time, the government intends to amend the Working Hours Act to permit up to eight hours of Sunday production in bakery back rooms, instead of the current three-hour limit. Libraries would be allowed to open for six hours on Sundays. The stated goal: make city centres more attractive and help brick-and-mortar retailers compete against online commerce.

The plans have triggered a sharp political dispute. Christian von Stetten (CDU), chairman of the Bundestag’s Economic Affairs Committee, along with FDP leader Wolfgang Kubicki, is pushing for even broader deregulation. Stefan Genth, managing director of the German Retail Federation (HDE), described shopping as a leisure experience and called for a general relaxation of restrictions. The German Textile Retail Trade Association (BTE) wants to scrap the so-called "occasion requirement" that currently ties Sunday openings to local festivals or markets.

On the other side, the SPD sees no need to go further than what is already in the draft. Verdi, the services union, has voiced outright opposition. A board member stressed that for many workers, Sunday is the only reliably free day of the week. Support for the union’s position comes from the Social Welfare Association and the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD), both warning against weakening a constitutional protection enshrined in the Basic Law.

State-level reactions are mixed. Schleswig-Holstein already allows staffless micro-supermarkets to open on Sundays, and Thuringia has authorised similar models. Bavaria’s premier Markus Söder flatly rejects any reform: "Nothing will be changed regarding Sunday rest in my state."

The Sunday-opening proposal is part of a wider labour-market overhaul that includes several other measures due in early 2027:

• Wage supplements: Tax-free ceilings for Sunday and public-holiday bonuses will rise to as much as 75 euros per hour.
• Mini-jobs: The flat-rate tax on marginal employment will increase from 2 to 5 percent. An expert commission has recommended phasing out the special status entirely in the longer term.
• Fixed-term contracts: The maximum duration for fixed-term contracts without a specific reason will double from 24 to 48 months, with up to six renewals permitted.
• Sick notes: Employees will need a doctor’s certificate from the very first day of illness.

The revised Working Hours Act is now before the Bundesrat. Germany’s Bakers’ Trade Association has welcomed the longer production windows but criticised the planned increase in mini-job taxation.