Title: Green Party Pushes for 24/7 Mini-Supermarkets on Sundays in Southwest Germany
No More Sunday Stress About Groceries!
Mini-supermarkets are seeking to extend their operating hours to include Sundays. - Greens call for Sunday operations of convenience stores
Ever found yourself in a bind on a Sunday morning, still in need of some basics like eggs, flour, or milk? Well, the Green Party in the state parliament has a potential solution for the southwest region: mini-supermarkets open day and night, even on Sundays and holidays!
"We're aiming to establish a legal foundation for digitally-organized small supermarkets without staff, enabling them to operate 24/7, including Sundays, to boost local supplies for citizens," said Andreas Schwarz, Green Party parliamentary group leader, to the German Press Agency in Stuttgart.
To bring this plan to life, the party intends to revise the Baden-Württemberg Retail Opening Hours Act, granting official permission for such mini-supermarkets to operate on Sundays. As these businesses don't employ in-store sales staff, there's no opposition to them being open seven days a week, reported Schwarz.
The Green Party asserts changing the law would greatly benefit rural communities. Such legal certainty could encourage the proliferation of these stores, ensuring citizens can purchase essential goods locally without having to drive miles to the next supermarket when they're out of milk or have run out of flour and sugar.
Trade expert Stephan Rüschen from the Dual University Baden-Württemberg (DHBW) in Heilbronn agrees. Operators would gain economically from Sunday trading, with the stores making two to three times their weekly sales on Sundays.
This change is under consideration in Hesse, where a similar amendment was approved by the state parliament last year. It stipulates that the stores can be no larger than 120 square meters and may sell only daily necessities.
Pros and Cons to Consider
On the brighter side, extended shopping hours could bring increased convenience, create economic benefits, and foster greater competition and diversity in the market. However, labor and social impacts, along with environmental concerns, must also be evaluated.
The Green Party will have to weigh these considerations carefully to ensure any changes are sustainable, socially responsible, and aligned with broader policies.
- Sunday
- Retail
- Milk
- Stuttgart
- Andreas Schwarz
- Southwest
- Alliance 90/The Greens
- German Press Agency
Enrichment Insights:
- With extended shopping hours on Sundays, these mini-supermarkets could lead to increased foot traffic and sales, benefiting the operators.
- Sunday trading could stimulate local economies by providing more revenue-generating opportunities, potentially inspiring more retail investment.
- Allowing more businesses to trade on Sundays would create a more competitive market, potentially resulting in improved services and a wider range of product offerings for consumers.
- There may be negative consequences, such as increased labor costs, negative social impacts on workers' work-life balance, and potential environmental concerns due to increased energy consumption and transportation emissions.
- The Green Party's proposal for 24/7 mini-supermarkets, open even on Sundays, in southwest Germany, if passed, could lead to an increase in sales of food-and-drink items like milk for consumers, as these stores may operate without human staff and be based on digital organization for finance management.
- The idea of allowing retail establishments, such as the proposed mini-supermarkets, to operate on Sundays could have a positive impact on the local lifestyle of citizens in the EC countries like Germany, as it would offer greater convenience for purchasing essentials like flour, creating a more flexible and accessible shopping experience, particularly in rural communities.
