Belgian Retail Stores Can Open 7 Days a Week Starting August 13

Belgian retail stores will be permitted to open seven days a week, from 08h00 to 21h00, starting Thursday, August 13. The law modifying the November 10, 2006 legislation on opening hours in commerce, crafts, and services was published in the Belgian Official Gazette (Moniteur belge) on August 3, according to RTBF.

A Landmark Change in Belgian Retail Policy

The reform, championed by Minister of Middle Classes Éléonore Simonet (MR), eliminates the mandatory weekly closing day for retail stores and permits systematic opening until 21h00 instead of the previous 20h00 limit. The bill was adopted by the Chamber of Representatives on July 16 and approved in plenary session by Parliament on July 17, as RTBF reported.

The Council of Ministers had approved the proposal in second reading on April 24, with first reading validation occurring on June 16. Under the previous legislation, only certain stores could open until 21h00 on Fridays and days before public holidays. On other days, stores had to close by 20h00, and one weekly rest day was mandatory, as noted in La Libre.

“The current law is no longer adapted to the expectations of consumers and merchants, nor to the development of online commerce which benefits from much broader flexibility than physical stores and creates distortions of competition,” Minister Simonet said when the government validated the proposal. “We don’t oblige anyone to stay open longer. We give merchants the freedom to choose. We remove outdated obstacles to allow our merchants to better compete with webshops and French stores. More opportunities, fewer constraints.”

Labor Law Constraints Remain

While stores may now open seven days a week, employers in the retail sector generally cannot have employees work on Sunday after 12h00 under existing labor legislation. “We can therefore open but not use staff,” lamented Luc Ardies of Buurtsuper.be, the organization representing independent supermarkets in Flanders, as reported by DH/Les Sports+.

Exceptions exist for municipalities on the list of tourist centers. According to the minister’s office, 75% of retail store managers have no staff, meaning these managers can operate their stores on Sunday afternoons themselves.

The labor law constraint was highlighted in June when the Federal Public Service Employment ruled that Aldi could not have employees work on Sunday beyond noon. Aldi had earlier announced intentions to open on Sundays, triggering strikes and store closures across the country in April, with around 40 stores closing in protest. The company ultimately announced in June it would not open on Sundays for now.

Industry Reactions Divided

Comeos, the Belgian Federation of Commerce and Services, has long advocated for Sunday opening. “Opening on Sunday was a request we had been carrying for a long time,” said spokesperson Lora Nivesse. “When can I put staff in my store to work? That’s another legislation we haven’t touched yet. I want to reassure everyone: we’re not going to force all workers to work on Sunday overnight,” she added, as reported by RTBF.

However, small independents and unions have expressed serious concerns. Pierre-Frédéric Nyst, president of the Union of Middle Classes (UCM), called the reform “another nail in our coffins,” arguing that opening one more day does not mean customers will automatically buy more. Marie-Hélène Ska, national secretary of the CSC trade union, questioned whether the reform represents social progress, noting that consumers have the same amount to spend each month regardless of how many days stores are open.

Economist Pierre-Alexandre Billiet of Gondola, a retail sector research firm, offered a nuanced analysis. “On cross-border purchases, opening on Sundays will have little impact, or even a negative impact since the costs of additional opening will gradually be passed on to consumer prices,” he said. “The big losers of Sunday opening are the Horeca and small independents,” he warned, noting that the system had become an economic necessity due to distortions between what was allowed for different retailers, as detailed in RTBF’s analysis.

Economic Context: Cross-Border Competition

The reform comes amid significant competitive pressures. Belgium lost 705 million euros in cross-border purchases in 2025—461 million to France, 131 million to the Netherlands, and 113 million to Germany and Luxembourg—according to Fevia data. E-commerce also operates with far more flexible hours than physical stores, creating additional competitive distortions.

“50% of people live within 50 kilometers of a border. It’s extremely easy to cross it to go shopping elsewhere,” Comeos’s Nivesse noted. “We want to keep food and non-food stores thriving.”

What to Watch For

As the law takes effect on August 13, retailers will decide individually whether to extend their hours. The key question remains whether labor legislation will be adapted to allow employees to work Sunday afternoons, a matter that unions and employers are likely to continue debating. The impact on small independents, the Horeca sector, and cross-border shopping patterns will be closely monitored in the coming months, as Paris Match Belgique and other outlets have noted.