Shopping on the holiday: Which stores are open on December 8th

December 8th used to be considered the “fifth shopping Saturday” in retail, but according to the trade association it has noticeably lost its importance in recent years. For a large number of retailers, it is simply not affordable: on December 8th, employees receive holiday pay as well as additional free time and 100 percent bonuses in addition to their normal monthly salary. “Mary’s Conception is the most costly day of the year for retailers,” says the trade association.

Due to the difficult personnel situation and the ongoing inflation crisis, according to the latest retailer survey, around 40 percent of local shops will probably not open on St. Mary’s Day this year. Some retailers traditionally remain closed on December 8th to strengthen employer branding, according to the trade association.

This is also the case for Betten Reiter, based in Leonding: “For us, the conscious decision to close our branches on December 8th is not just a question of tradition, but also a recognition of the importance of peace and shared reflection. We believe that such moments of pause benefit not only our employees, but also our customers.”says managing director Peter Hildebrand in a broadcast.

Lidl Austria also gives its employees days off on public holidays. The branches of the Rewe Group (Billa, Billa Plus, Bipa and Penny) will also remain closed, with the exception of locations with mandatory operations (e.g. in shopping centers – in Upper Austria in Linz, Steyr, Wels and Gmunden).

Opening as a “signal for positive sentiment in retail”

Unlike last year, the drugstore chain dm wants to keep all branches open. “A look at the calendar speaks against a closure: Compared to last year, December is two days shorter this year,” said dm managing director Harald Bauer in a statement. They also want to “send a signal for a positive mood in retail” and enable employees to earn additional income.

Hofer will open its branches on December 8th. All Interspar and Eurospar branches will also remain open on public holidays. Selected Spar branches are also opening: there are 36 in Upper Austria, seven of which are in the state capital Linz. The independent Adeg merchants can decide for themselves whether they are closed on the day of the Conception of Mary or not. The furniture retailer XXXLutz and the electronics retailer Mediamarkt are also open. “We would like to offer technology fans all over Austria the opportunity to do their gifts and shopping locally when it suits them best. The eighth of December has been established as a popular date in the run-up to Christmas for years,” says von Media market.

This year the holiday is being overshadowed by the stalled collective bargaining negotiations in retail; there are around 430,000 employees throughout Austria. While the employers are offering a salary increase of six percent and a one-off payment, the union is demanding a wage increase of 9.4 percent. After no agreement was reached in the fourth round, the first warning strikes took place last week.

• Read here: Will there be a strike in retail on December 8th?

Controversy over store openings

Since 1995, shops have been allowed to stay open on December 8th, but only between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. Ten years earlier – in 1985 – a dispute over public holiday opening had occupied the Constitutional Court: The then Salzburg VP state governor Wilfried Haslauer senior (father of the current state governor) had allowed the retailers in his state to open on St. Mary’s Day – contrary to an instruction from the SP Social Minister.

This brought the lawyer a so-called “ministerial indictment” before the Constitutional Court, initiated by the red-blue federal government. The Supreme Court ultimately ruled against Haslauer’s decision, but there were no legal or political consequences.