The decision concerns the Sundays of 24 and 31 January and 7 and 14 February.
Winter sales to start on 20 January in Luxembourg
Lex Delles, the Minister for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises, justified the decision based on developments in the Corona pandemic. The hope is that this will discourage people from going out for non-essential purchases.
The statement from the ministry further stresses that shops will need to comply with the current safety measures even during the sales. Shops of less than 20 square metres can welcome a maximum of two customers at a time. Large supermarkets and shopping centres must adhere to the measures from December 2020. Customers must wear masks and try to keep the necessary distance.
The trade organisation CLC finds this decision hard to understand. They say they have implemented every measure to ensure a safe shopping experience for all customers.
Closing shops on Sundays would only increase the numbers of shoppers on other days, especially on Saturdays, when weekend shoppers could otherwise have spread out over both days.
