Germany is about to break one of its oldest rules. Chancellor Friedrich Merz's government is considering allowing retail shops to open on Sundays, something prohibited since 1919 in the Weimar Constitution and still in force under article 140 of Germany's Basic Law. The measure, scheduled for January 2027, aims to reactivate an economy that has stalled for years and shows worrying signs of weakness.

The rule that cost a shopkeeper 2,500 euros

The story of Bedran Günes sums up the conflict. This Berlin merchant was fined 2,500 euros for selling non-perishable food on Sunday, breaching the so-called "Sonntagsruhe" (Sunday rest). According to his account to the Wall Street Journal, he continues committing the "violation" because otherwise his business would go under. Günes estimates that up to 40% of his sales occur precisely on Sunday.

Currently in Germany, only bars, restaurants, petrol stations and some shops with special permits selling exclusively bread, beverages, tobacco or food for immediate consumption are allowed to open on Sundays. Everything else remains closed until Monday.

The German economy gasping for air

Chancellor Merz has not chosen this reform on a whim. According to xataka.com, Germany faces worrying figures:

• The retail sector has lost 60,000 jobs since 2022
• More than 50,000 shops have closed in the last five years
• Unemployment exceeds three million people, a figure unseen in over a decade
• The economy has stalled since 2019 with no signs of recovery
• Its manufacturing industry is undergoing a visible crisis

Merz has launched an intensive reform plan that has already touched on sick leave, pensions and working hours. Opening retail on Sundays is the next step in this strategy to breathe economic life back into the economy.

Growing support, but public division

The proposal is not unanimous. A recent YouGov survey reveals that 43% of Germans would support opening more on Sundays, compared to 34% just a year ago. However, half the country still opposes it, though the gap is widening especially among younger people.

Trade unions see this measure as a direct attack on labour rights. But there are also merchants against it: Catrin Schulz, owner of a Berlin optician, told the Telegraph that they already struggle to find employees to work every Saturday, so extending hours to Sunday seems a losing battle. Moreover, many retailers argue that their customers already shop online on Sundays anyway, so opening would not mean a real increase in productivity.

A challenge to over a century of tradition

What is at stake is more than shop opening hours. German Sunday rest stems from a Christian tradition of "days of rest and spiritual reflection", as the 1919 regulation states. Breaking this rule means questioning not only a labour right, but a cultural feature of Germany that has endured for generations.

If the reform succeeds in January 2027, Germany would join most European countries where commerce operates seven days a week. The question is whether the cultural and labour cost justifies the economic benefits it hopes to obtain.