Several stores are open

Where You Can Go Shopping on a Holiday Saturday

Supermarkets are open even on public holidays, especially in tourist regions and near train stations.(Bild: Kwangmoozaa - stock.adobe.com)

Most supermarkets in Austria are closed on this holiday Saturday. But if you urgently need milk, bread, and other essentials, you can still go shopping in some regions. Austrians are in luck, especially in tourist areas, at train stations, and at gas stations.

Today, Saturday, marks the Feast of the Assumption—and most supermarkets are closed for two days in a row. However, some locations are staying open and supplying Austrians with groceries even on the holiday, as the supermarket chains indicate on their websites.

Wide Selection in Vienna
In the capital, the list of open supermarkets is long despite the holiday. For example, Billa stores at Praterstern, Franz-Josefs-Bahnhof, Westbahnhof, and Herrnhuterhaus are open.

Viennese residents can also shop at several Spar, Interspar, and other locations, including the stores at the public transit hubs Wien Mitte and Hauptbahnhof. The locations near the AKH on Währinger Gürtel and the Floridsdorf Clinic are also open. Hofer has opened its doors at several stores in the districts of Leopoldstadt, Brigittenau, Floridsdorf, and Donaustadt.

A few stores in Lower Austria
InLower Austria, the list of open supermarkets is fairly short. At Schwechat Airport, there are several Billa stores that are open on this holiday Saturday. A few Hofer locations are also open. For example, Austrians can go shopping on Wiener Straße in Krems an der Donau or in Schrems.

Most Upper Austrian stores are closed
In Attersee, the Billa seasonal market is open until noon. A few Hofer stores are also staying open, such as in Traunkirchen, St. Georgen im Attergau, or on Dalistraße in Wels-Nord. Otherwise, Upper Austrians have to resort to gas stations and similar outlets.

Plenty of Choice in Carinthia
In Carinthia, shopping options on the holiday are comparatively extensive. Quite a few Billa and Hofer stores remain open during the vacation season, even on holidays—for example, in Velden or Pörtschach. In Carinthia, you can shop at Spar stores in places like St. Kanzian or Treffen; several Spar Express locations are also open. In Klagenfurt, the Billa stores at the main train station and on St. Veiter Ring are open.

Few stores open in Styria
In Bruck an der Mur, Bärnbach, and on Eckerstraße in Graz, shoppers can check out at Hofer on Saturday. Styrians can shop at Spar at the main train stations in Graz and Leoben or at the Graz Airport. They can also find what they need at gas station stores.

Debate Over Opening Hours

As her first demand in her new role, the new president of the Vienna Chamber of Commerce, Margarete Kriz-Zwittkovits, is calling for stores in tourism zones to be allowed to open on Sundays as well.

“Well, I will certainly continue to advocate for the tourism zones,” she says. Shops open on Sundays or holidays would likely help generate more added value. 

Salzburg: Stores Open in Tourist Regions
In Salzburg, numerous Billa stores are open in popular vacation regions, such as Zell am See, Bad Gastein, and Saalbach-Hinterglemm. Spar and Hofer branches are also open in several vacation destinations. In the city of Salzburg, you can buy bread and other groceries at the Spar store near the main train station or at Billa on Griesgasse.

Most Stores Closed on Holidays in Tyrol
In tourist regions such as St. Johann in Tirol and Kitzbühel, Hofer and Billa stores are also open on the holiday. In Innsbruck, you can do your shopping at the Spar on Marktgraben.

Virtually no shopping options in Vorarlberg and Burgenland
In the southeast and far west, shopping options are scarce on this holiday Saturday. In Oberpullendorf, Burgenland, one Hofer store is open, but for the most part, residents of Vorarlberg and Burgenland have to rely on gas station stores, regional bakeries, and similar establishments.