Shopping hours denote the time when shops stay open. The set of laws and regulations for shopping hours vary from country to country. Sunday shopping is not allowed in some countries. Some shops prefer to remain closed on Fridays in Islamic countries. There are some shops around the world that close only on Christmas Day . In the UK, most retail shops remain open 6 to 7 days a week. Shopping hours on weekdays are 9 am to 5.30 pm whereas shopping hours generally do not exceed 6 hours on Sundays. Large supermarkets, except on Sundays, remain open for 24 hours. In the USA, shopping hours differ far and wide based on customer wants and management considerations. In key areas like New York and Los Angeles, drugstores and supermarkets are usually kept open for 24 hours a day. The departmental stores and shopping centers remain open from 10 am to 9 pm on weekdays. Shopping hours are less on Sundays. On significant holidays, like Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day, most shops stay closed . Most outlets of the largest retailer in the USA, Wal-Mart, are open throughout the year constantly except on the 25th of December.
In smaller towns and cities, strong religious traditions force local retailers to stay closed on Sundays. In Las Vegas, dental clinics, computer shops, car dealerships, auto mechanic shops operate 24 hours a day . Individual states and territories regulate supermarket-trading hours in Australia. However, the rules and regulations regarding shopping hours are quite different in the states of Tasmania and Victoria. Here, the 2 main supermarket outlets Coles and Woolworths normally trade between 6 am and 12 midnight 7 days a week. Though the state government has passed quite a few changes to relax the laws, the shopping hours in South Australia are still being regulated. The local district councils govern the trading laws in rural areas of Western Australia. Some have even permitted shopping on Sundays in their districts.
The federal law, called ‘Shop Closing Law’ regulates the shopping days and hours in Germany. The law was first enacted in 1956 and last amended on 13th March 2003. On weekdays, the shopping hours for different stores vary between 6 am and 8 pm. Gas stations remain open 24 hours a day. Shops in tourist-zones are also open for longer hours. In Austria, the situation is somewhat similar to that of Germany. Here, until the 1990s, shops used to close at midday Saturday and reopened on Monday morning. In the following years, laws were relaxed and further exceptions in shopping hours were granted. In The Netherlands, the shopping hours vary on different days of the week. The Food Village at Schiphol Airport near Amsterdam remains open until midnight 7 days a week. |
