Opening hours until 10 p.m. or even longer? In many federal states this has long been a matter of course. But in the energy crisis, some stores are aiming for shorter opening times again.
Difficult times are also ahead for the German retail trade: Rising energy prices are likely to cause operating costs to skyrocket, and many stores are also suffering from a shortage of staff. Thomas Gutberlet, Managing Director of the Tegut food retail chain (around 290 branches with around 7,700 employees), is therefore in favor of shorter opening hours – throughout Germany.
According to a report in the “Lebensmittelzeitung”, Gutberlet therefore wrote a letter to the governments of the 16 federal states in which he submitted his proposal. His reason: “In the short term, a reduction would help to save energy. In the long term, it would make the retail trade more attractive again.”
The head of the company based in Fulda, Hesse, is not yet more specific. “Basically, it’s about bringing the topic of shop opening times back into the conversation and renegotiating with the public,” he told the “Lebensmittelzeitung”.
Opening hours depend on the country
However, the right to close shops in Bavaria could provide some orientation. Shops there have to close at 8 p.m., while in the other federal states many shops have been open longer since the closing time for shops became a state matter in 2006.
There is only one exception in Bavaria for “digital mini-supermarkets” – i.e. markets without sales staff in which customers scan their purchases themselves.
But providers in other federal states are also thinking about shorter opening times. A self-employed businessman from Baden-Württemberg now closes his 16 Edeka branches every Wednesday at 1 p.m. instead of at 8 p.m. as before.
The reason for this, however, was not primarily the energy crisis, but the personnel situation. His employees are “at the breaking point,” said Hieber.
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Many prices are rising sharply. But if you shop at the right time, you can save up to 75 percent. In the video you can see how this works and how the secret codes on the price tags make shopping in the supermarket cheaper.
Source: Stern
Jane Stock is a technology author, who has written for 24 Hours World. She writes about the latest in technology news and trends, and is always on the lookout for new and innovative ways to improve his audience’s experience.
