The retail group Rewe wants to extend opening hours in Austria. Instead of the current maximum of 72 hours, stores should be allowed to open up to 78 hours per week in the future. Rewe Austria CEO Marcel Haraszti is thus demanding six additional hours for retail. This is reported by the daily newspaper „Heute“ on October 18, 2026.

The demand concerns the legal framework for retail companies such as Billa, Billa Plus, Bipa, Penny, and Adeg. Such a change would also be relevant for customers in Vienna. However, the extension has not yet been decided.

With this initiative, Rewe aims to achieve more flexibility in store opening hours. The current limit of 72 hours per week is to be increased to 78 hours.

The group is also advocating for new legal regulations for staffless and hybrid self-service markets. According to Rewe’s vision, such outlets should be able to open after 8 PM as well as on Sundays and public holidays.

These are two different demands. The increase to 78 hours concerns the general weekly opening framework. Separate legal changes would be necessary for additional shopping opportunities on Sundays and public holidays.

Rewe refers to a self-commissioned survey to support its demands. According to the company, around 73 percent of approximately 1,000 respondents support longer opening hours for staffless local suppliers.

The respondents expressed that such self-service markets should be allowed to open after 8 PM as well as on Sundays and public holidays if there is a corresponding demand.

The survey explicitly refers to staffless outlets and not to a general Sunday opening of all supermarkets.

One reason for the demand is the current legal situation regarding self-service markets. Following a decision by the Constitutional Court, Rewe halted its expansion plans for so-called Billa boxes.

Accordingly, local supply containers without staff are subject to the same time restrictions as conventional supermarkets. They are also limited to 72 hours per week.

According to a report by the „Kronen Zeitung,“ Billa currently operates four such self-service boxes across Austria. A pilot project with regional boxes in Carinthia was also terminated.

Rewe is therefore demanding a legal basis that facilitates the operation of digital and hybrid local supply offerings.

Support for a discussion on longer opening hours comes from the Chamber of Commerce, according to the „Kronen Zeitung.“ Trade chairman Rainer Trefelik expressed openness to longer sales hours on Saturday evenings and up to ten open Sundays per year.

The NEOS also support additional opportunities for self-service stores. Economic spokesperson Markus Hofer pointed out that such business models could particularly fill supply gaps in rural areas.

Thus, in addition to the general extension of opening hours, special regulations for stores without sales staff are also under discussion.

There is significant resistance from the union GPA. Chairwoman Barbara Teiber rejects longer opening hours.

„What is not bought in 72 hours will not be bought in 78 hours either,“ explained Teiber.

The union sees additional sales times as a burden primarily on employees. Teiber particularly pointed to women and the lack of childcare options on Sundays and at off-peak times.

From the union’s perspective, longer opening hours would create additional social challenges.

For Viennese residents, nothing changes for the time being. The demand from Rewe does not mean that Billa, Bipa, or Penny are already allowed to stay open longer.

Whether the legal opening framework will actually be extended from 72 to 78 hours is currently open. A general opening of supermarkets on Sundays has also not been decided.

The initiative comes shortly before the collective bargaining negotiations in the retail sector. A political decision on new opening hours is still pending.

(VIENNA.AT)

This article has been automatically translated, read the original article .