In the article "What retailers are calling for on Sundays open for business" in the Rheinische Post of 10.01.2025, it states that the NRW Ministry of Economic Affairs believes that the importance of Sundays open for business has diminished. As the mayor, Dr. Dominik Pichler, believes that this is by no means the case, the pilgrimage city is taking the aforementioned article as an opportunity to write to the Minister of Economic Affairs, Mona Neubaur, and the members of the state parliament, Dr. Volkhard Wille and Stefan Wolters, to explain the city administration's view on Sunday opening. The aim is to bring about a change in the direction of the Hessian or Lower Saxony Shop Opening Act with regard to the goods that may be sold on Sundays. "In our view, the competitiveness of NRW municipalities compared to municipalities in Hesse or Lower Saxony is limited due to the different regulations on Sunday opening," says Mayor Dr. Dominik Pichler. City Manager Tobias Nelke adds: "The fact that Sunday opening is still relevant in Kevelaer is shown by the fact that the topic comes up in almost every conversation with retailers."
What is the difference between the Hessian, Lower Saxony and North Rhine-Westphalian store opening laws?
Section 6 (2) of the North Rhine-Westphalia Shop Opening Act (LÖG NRW) states: Sales outlets in health resorts, excursion, recreation and pilgrimage destinations with a particularly high level of tourism may be open for up to eight hours on a maximum of 40 Sundays or public holidays per year. In addition to the goods that are characteristic of these places, goods for immediate consumption, fresh fruit, tobacco products, flowers and newspapers may be sold. The Hessian Shop Opening Act permits the sale of travel goods, sporting goods, devotional items, goods characteristic of these locations and tourist goods on 40 Sundays. Even more generous is the regulation in Lower Saxony, which expressly permits the sale of clothing and jewelry. The pilgrimage town is striving to have "items for tourist use" included in the NRW Shop Opening Act. This would also be possible without an amendment to the Basic Law. "In order to get other municipalities on board, we are writing to all health resorts, excursion, recreation and pilgrimage destinations in NRW with the request that they also suggest an amendment to the Shop Opening Act to the Ministry of Economic Affairs," says Mayor Dr. Dominik Pichler, underlining the importance of the issue once again.