80 instead of 72 hours

Rewe boss wants stores in Austria to stay open longer

Rewe wants to open 80 instead of 72 hours a week in future - but Sunday is to remain a day off.(Bild: APA/HELMUT FOHRINGER)

Rewe Austria boss Marcel Haraszti is pushing for a liberalization of store opening hours. He is calling for an extension from the current maximum of 72 hours to 80 hours between Monday and Saturday. He describes the law on opening hours as "very nostalgic".

He rejects the desire of some retailers to open on Sundays. "I think it's right to be closed on Sunday. It's the day of the family." Haraszti had already pushed for a liberalization of opening hours during the week in 2020.

Opening hours between 6 a.m. and 11 p.m.
At the time, he suggested that branches in the city, for example, should be allowed to stay open until 11 p.m., while locations that are heavily frequented by commuters should be allowed to open from six in the morning. This is not feasible due to the 72-hour rule per week.

Haraszti now comments to "Krone": "For us, the current 72 hours are not okay. It's a nostalgic relic from the old days when we weren't even allowed to open on Saturday afternoons," said the boss of Billa, Bipa and Adeg.

However, times are different today in the face of online competition: "You can order around the clock and get the products delivered. Why should stores only be allowed to stay open until 6 p.m. on Saturdays, for example? That raises the question: is that customer-oriented? Online retail is so successful because it is customer-oriented - and that's what we want to be! So why not open for 80 hours instead of 72, if the market allows it?"

Austria has "the oldest opening hours law in Europe"
 Austria has "the oldest opening hours law in Europe". A change to 80 hours would also be welcomed by a number of employees: "Many of us would like to work at the cut-off times - in the morning and in the evening - because they get bonuses."

"Clear rejection" from the trade union
A "clear rejection" came immediately from the trade union GPA. Extending opening hours would not make the sector more attractive for employees.

"Employees are already suffering from enormous stress and work pressure due to staff shortages. Extending opening hours would make the situation even worse. Working hours from 6 a.m. and until 11 p.m. are neither employee-friendly nor family-friendly," says Martin Müllauer, Chairman of the Retail Business Unit.