Federal parliamentarian Florence Reuter (MR) has tabled a bill in parliament that would allow shops to open later than 10:00 p.m. and on certain Sundays on a voluntary basis, the Mouvement Republicain legislator announced in a press release.
Under the bill, in addition to opening until 10:00 p.m., shops would be able to derogate once a month from the weekly rest day, which is generally Sunday.
According to the parliamentarian, this measure would create greater equality between physical stores and e-commerce, an approach strongly encouraged by the Minister for the Self-Employed and SMEs, David Clarinval (MR), and the Union des Classes Moyennes (UCM).
"This proposal may actually help some retailers to increase their sales figures without others feeling obliged to follow the trend," the UCM noted. "In order to check whether the measures are beneficial, the proposed law provides for an evaluation of the new arrangements after the first six months of implementation."
