Shorter opening hours

Forgotten champagne? You can still shop here

Opening hours on the last day of the year vary depending on the supermarket chain.(Bild: Борис Бондарчук - stock.adobe.com)

If you still need a bottle of sparkling wine or ingredients for New Year's Eve dinner, you'll have to be a little quicker than usual today. Most supermarkets close in the afternoon.

Different rules apply in Austria on New Year's Eve than usual and most stores have to close earlier. The general rule is that sales are allowed until 5 p.m. on December 31, and grocery stores are allowed to stay open one hour longer - until 6 p.m. There is an exception for sweet stores, florists and the New Year's Eve goods trade: they do not have to close until 8 pm.

Opening hours on the last day of the year vary considerably depending on the supermarket chain. Austrians can still shop all day at Billa and Billa Plus, namely until 5 pm. Some Penny stores are also open until 5 p.m., but this varies depending on the location and some close earlier. At Spar it also depends on the store: Some close as early as 1pm, after 5pm only a few locations are open. At Lidl, goods are pulled over the checkout conveyor belt until 4 pm, while Hofer is open until 3 pm.

The opening hours of drugstores vary from store to store. Some dm stores send their employees home at 1 p.m., while others stay open longer. At Bipa, the core opening hours on the last day of the year are until 2 pm.

Opening hours on the last day of the year vary depending on the supermarket chain.(Bild: Борис Бондарчук - stock.adobe.com)

Pharmacies open until midday
Pharmacies were open until at least 12 noon. After that, Austrians can still go to pharmacies that are on call on New Year's Eve and are open around the clock.