BERLIN, Sept. 21 (Xinhua) -- After opening permits had repeatedly been tilted by courts at short notice in recent months, the German Retail Federation (HDE) called on Monday for a legally safe regulation on stores opening on Sundays.
"The numerous short-term cancellations of already approved Sunday openings throughout the country are hardly bearable for the retailers in the current situation," said HDE-President Josef Sanktjohanser in a statement.
Following temporary shop closures and health restrictions due to the COVID-19 crisis, Sanktjohanser stressed that the cancellations would cause retailers additional losses, which was "twice as hard in these already difficult times."
Stores are generally closed on Sundays in Germany. However, different federal states in the country allow stores to open on a certain number of Sundays each year, while others make exceptions for certain regions or tourist destinations.
As Sunday openings are mostly only permissible around major events, such as fairs or festivals, which are currently canceled because of COVID-19, "it is hardly possible to carry out legally safe Sunday openings without changes," the HDE noted.
German retailers as well as city centers would need, "finally legal certainty for occasional and reliable" Sunday openings in the afternoons from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m., according to the HDE.
Sanktjohanser told the German newspaper Welt on Monday that "we are determined to file a constitutional complaint in order to obtain legal clarity. If we have a suitable case as a basis, this could be done before the end of the year." Enditem
