Heated Debate

Billa and Others Want to Stay Open 6 Hours Longer

A survey commissioned by Rewe shows broad support for longer opening hours at unstaffed local grocery stores. The retail group now says it’s up to policymakers to act.(Bild: Drazen – stock.adobe.com)

Shortly before collective bargaining negotiations in the retail sector are set to begin, a new push has emerged in the debate over liberalizing weekly opening hours for supermarkets. The head of Rewe Austria would like to see hours extended from 72 to 78.

Rewe Austria CEO Marcel Haraszti has never made a secret of the fact that he finds the current hours too restrictive. 

He points to the government’s program, which treats self-service and hybrid markets the same as vending machine stores. It states: “Local retailers that are operated entirely digitally—or digitally during off-peak hours and without salaried staff—are exempt from the law governing opening hours.”

Rewe CEO Now Says It’s Up to Politicians
From Rewe’s perspective, this plan “should now be implemented quickly to provide legal certainty for innovative retail concepts and, in particular, to create additional opportunities for supplying the population in rural regions.”

A survey commissioned by Rewe shows broad support for longer opening hours at unstaffed local retailers. The retail group now believes it is up to policymakers to act.(Bild: Drazen – stock.adobe.com)

Haraszti is primarily referring to the unstaffed container stores. The retail group abandoned its expansion plans for the Billa-Box with self-checkout counters following a ruling by the Constitutional Court (VfGH). According to the ruling, unstaffed neighborhood grocery containers may remain open only as long as supermarkets, namely 72 hours per week.

Billa currently operates four such self-service kiosks across Austria. Apilot program with regional kiosks in Carinthia failed. One of the main reasons for halting the kiosk expansion was the Shop Opening Hours Act.

Call to Extend Weekly Hours from 72 to 78 in Stores
But even for traditional stores (Adeg, Billa, BillaPlus, Bipa, Penny), the Rewe CEO is calling for an extension of the weekly opening hours on weekdays from the current 72 to 78 hours.

Rewe in Austria

• Rewe International AG is part of the German Rewe Group—one of Europe’s leading retail and tourism conglomerates. 
• Among the most important Rewe brands in Austria (headquartered in Wiener Neudorf) are: Billa and Billa Plus (formerly Merkur), Bipa, Penny, and Adeg. 
• With approximately 2,500 stores and around 47,000 employees (plus 2,300 apprentices), Rewe International AG is Austria’s leading local retailer.

Survey: Majority Supports Extended Opening Hours
According to a survey commissioned by the group, nearly three-quarters of respondents support extended opening hours for neighborhood grocery container stores. Rewe also wants to be allowed to keep its stores open longer. Nearly 73 percent of about 1,000 respondents support allowing unstaffed self-service stores to remain open after 8 p.m. as well as on Sundays and holidays, if there is sufficient demand, according to the company.

What isn’t bought in 72 hours won’t be bought in 78 hours either.

Barbara Teiber, Vorsitzende der Gewerkschaft GPA, spricht sich gegen eine Ausdehnung der Öffnungszeiten aus.

Bild: Michael Mazohl

WKÖ Open to Debate
Haraszti is now even receiving support from WKÖ Trade Chairman Rainer Trefelik. The top industry representative recently expressed openness to a debate on extended opening hours on Saturday evenings as well as up to ten Sundays a year when stores are open. Calls for Sunday shopping have recently intensified again. 

Union Clearly Opposed
“What isn’t bought in 72 hours won’t be bought in 78 hours either,” commented Barbara Teiber, chairwoman of the GPA union, on the Rewe CEO’s demand. Women, in particular, would be affected by longer opening hours. “The lack of childcare options on Sundays and during off-peak hours makes longer opening hours a social imposition,” Teiber added.

Here’s what NEOS has to say
“Especially in rural areas, where in many places there are no longer any traditional local grocery stores, self-service stores and hybrid markets can fill this important gap in supply,” noted NEOS economic spokesperson Markus Hofer. He said he couldn’t understand why a staffless neighborhood grocery store or an independent grocer without staff isn’t allowed to be open around the clock.