Shops allowed to remain open until 21:00 every day
The federal government will relax the opening hours of shops in Belgium, which will be allowed to remain open an hour longer, until 21:00 every day. In
Clothing shops, electrical goods stores and supermarkets in Belgium are currently subject to strict rules. They must have at least one fixed closing day each week. On other days, they are not allowed to open between 20:00 and 5:00, except on Fridays, when they can stay open until 21:00.
This is about to change. The government had already decided to relax the rules and give retailers more freedom. Now the details have been worked out, according to De Morgen. The mandatory closing day will be abolished and every retailer will be allowed to stay open until 21:00 every day. Those who want to close earlier can still do so.
The rules are expected to be definitively approved by the Council of Ministers on Friday, according to the office of the responsible minister, Eléonore Simonet. The changes are being made because, according to the government, the law on opening hours no longer meets customer expectations. Today's customers expect much more flexibility. Newsagents were already allowed to be open 24 hours a day and that exception will remain in place.
Until last week, the intention was to extend opening hours to 22:00. However, some coalition partners that this was going too far. They fear that small independent retailers will feel obliged to stay open longer in order to compete with larger chains.
Opposition members of the liberal party Open VLD are critical and want businesses to be given even more freedom. The High Council for the Self-Employed and SMEs is also not in favour of longer opening hours. The advisory body fears for the private lives of small self-employed people who have difficulty finding staff and will have to work longer hours themselves.
Rue Neuve in Brussels © PHOTO BELGIAN FREELANCE
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