Belgium is set to significantly relax its retail trading rules, with shops soon allowed to stay open until 21:00 (9 PM) every day and no longer required to observe a mandatory weekly closing day. The Federal Government approved a draft law on Friday, following earlier commitments in the coalition agreement, and aims to have the legislation passed by parliament before the summer.
Under the current system, most brick-and-mortar retailers must close by 20:00 (8 PM) (except on Fridays) and are obliged to shut for a continuous 24-hour period each week, typically on Sundays.
The reform removes that obligation, giving shopkeepers the freedom to determine their own opening hours. The change is intended to help physical stores compete with e-commerce, which operates without time restrictions and increasingly offers deliveries at weekends.
Changing consumer behaviour
According to the government, the existing rules no longer reflect changing consumer behaviour, with more shopping taking place during weekends and on Sundays. Marketing professor Els Breugelmans of KU Leuven indicated that consumers have less time during the week and have grown accustomed to the immediacy of online shopping, reinforcing demand for extended opening hours.
Strikes and sector pressure
While many large retail chains have welcomed the increased flexibility, the reform has sparked resistance among workers and smaller businesses. At supermarket chain Aldi, a wave of spontaneous strikes broke out after the company said it was considering Sunday openings, with the action spreading to dozens of stores nationwide.
Employees and unions have expressed frustration about how such plans are being introduced. They argue that many staff deliberately chose jobs without Sunday work and now fear losing time with their families. There is also criticism that some retailers have not sufficiently consulted staff representatives before announcing major changes that affect work-life balance. Observers note that disputes over Sunday pay are likely to intensify, with other chains having already agreed on additional compensation for weekend work.
Trade unions and retail experts warn that the move could accelerate an ongoing shift towards widespread Sunday trading. Increased competition- driven in part by Dutch chains such as Albert Heijn and Jumbo, as well as changes within Delhaize and Carrefour – has already pushed more supermarkets to open on Sundays.
Analysts suggest that if all major players follow suit, the sector could reach a new equilibrium in which stores face higher operating costs without significantly increasing overall revenue.
Concerns from small businesses
Critics argue that the reform will primarily benefit large chains with the financial capacity to extend opening hours, while placing additional pressure on smaller, independent retailers.
Business organisations representing the self-employed caution that longer opening times will raise costs and workloads without generating extra income, instead merely redistributing consumer spending across different days of the week. They also warn that small neighbourhood shops and independent supermarkets could lose one of their most profitable trading days if larger competitors open on Sundays.
The Neutral Union for the Self-Employed (Neutraal Syndicaat voor Zelfstandigen, NSZ) echoed these concerns, arguing that the measure would favour multinational companies while burdening smaller operators with higher expenses.
Retail experts similarly suggest that any limited gains for large supermarkets could come at the expense of independent businesses, such as bakeries, which may see reduced Sunday sales.
Government defends flexibility
Federal Minister Small Businesses and Self-Employed Eléonore Simonet (MR) has rejected the criticism, stressing that the reform does not oblige shops to stay open longer. She indicated that retailers who currently close earlier can continue to do so, while those feeling disadvantaged compared with online and foreign competitors will benefit from the removal of regulatory constraints.
Despite the opposition, the broader trend towards more flexible opening hours appears unlikely to reverse. Even before the legislative change, Sunday openings were becoming more common, sometimes in tension with existing labour laws that still restrict Sunday afternoon work. Government officials emphasise that the reform focuses on economic regulations, leaving it to sectors and social partners to negotiate how extended opening hours are implemented in practice.
Opinion: Sunday rest increasingly under pressure
In an opinion piece, Gazet van Antwerpen commentator Kris Vanmarsenille argued that resistance to Sunday openings may ultimately prove futile. She noted that although Aldi employees reacted strongly and felt blindsided by the announcement, the broader market trend suggests that Sunday trading is becoming unavoidable, with nearly all major supermarket chains already embracing it.
She suggested that Sunday openings respond to genuine consumer demand, as supermarkets generate turnover comparable to a regular weekday and modern lifestyles favour flexibility in both work and shopping. With online retail offering round-the-clock access, physical stores are under pressure to adapt, not only in the supermarket sector but across retail more widely.
At the same time, she warned that this growing flexibility risks strengthening large chains, which are better equipped to absorb the costs and organisational challenges of extended opening hours than smaller independent retailers.
Vanmarsenille also pointed to the social impact of increasingly flexible consumption patterns. She argued that the erosion of a shared weekly rest day reflects a broader shift towards constant activity, raising questions about work-life balance at a time when stress and burnout are on the rise. While a fixed day of rest might still be desirable, she concluded that a return to strict Sunday closure is no longer realistic.
It’s easy to decide when it affects others, and oneself
I don’t work in retail, I work in public transport and I estimate I work 40% of weekends in a year. I also don’t work office hours. I like that.
Nevertheless it bugs me the general public demands more and more activities outdside office hours. Broadly speaking, outside Monday to Friday, from 8:00 / 9:00 AM to 17:00 / 18:00 (5-6 PM).
But those people expecting services almost 24/7 are often people not prepared to work outside the office hours. Evenings and certainly weekend are holy.
But why? Why does one sector get the privilege of a a regular life (office hours, weekends off) and other sectors don’t? Why can’t I call a customer service on a Saturday, or at 22:000 (10 PM)? Why can’t I go to the dentist on a Sunday morning?
It doesn’t add up. People expect more and more activities and services outside office hours, but they don’t want to work them. Partly because there so much to do, and people have fear of missing out.
So if more and more sectors have to operate seven days a week, almost every hour – think public transport, shops, then everyone should have to.
Abolish the concept of office hours and weekends. Even for schools. One school can have Monday and Tuesday off, the next Tuesday and Wednesday, … and so on.
You think I exaggerate? Then don’t expect others to give up their well-being for you.
