80 instead of 72 hours: Rewe Austria boss wants to extend opening hours

In an interview with the Austria Press Agency, Haraszti called for an extension from the current maximum of 72 hours to 80 hours between Monday and Saturday. The opening hours law is a “very nostalgic law”. Haraszti was satisfied with the sales and profit development last year.

However, Haraszti rejects the request of some retailers to open on Sundays. “I think it’s right that people are closed on Sunday. It’s the day of the family.” The Rewe Austria boss had already pushed for a liberalization of opening hours during the week in 2020. At that time, he suggested, for example, that branches in the city should be allowed to stay open until 11 p.m., while locations that are heavily frequented by commuters would be allowed to open from 6 a.m. in the morning. This is not possible because of the 72-hour rule per week.

A “clear rejection” came immediately from the GPA union. “Expanding the opening hours would do a disservice to the attractiveness of the industry for employees. Employees are already suffering from enormous stress and work pressure due to a lack of staff. Expanding the opening hours would further aggravate the situation. Working hours from 6 a.m. and until 11 p.m. are neither employee-friendly nor family-friendly,” said the chairman of the trade sector in the GPA, Martin Müllauer.

Growth above inflation

The German Rewe Group increased gross total sales in Austria last year with Billa, Billa Plus, Bipa, Adeg and Rewe Austria Touristik by 9.6 percent to 10.45 billion euros. At the end of 2023, the retail group employed more than 47,000 people in almost 2,500 branches in this country. The food business grew by 9.1 percent to 9.3 billion euros, while Bipa’s revenues climbed by 13.2 percent to 940 million euros. For comparison: Inflation was 7.8 percent in 2023. In 2022, Billa Aktiengesellschaft’s net profit was around 27 million euros, according to the annual report filed in the commercial register. The annual financial statements for 2023 do not have to be published until next fall.

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