Only two out of 209 Tesco supermarkets will be open on Sundays in Hungary, as the law on Sunday shopping ban takes effect on 15 March.
Following a legislation passed in December 2014, shops in Hungary operating on more than 200 square metres will have to remain closed on Sundays. Opening on the last day of the week is only allowed during the pre-Christmas period and on one additional Sunday during the year.
Further exemptions contain stores operating at airports, railway stations, and world heritage sites. Two of the Tesco supermarkets located in Eastern Hungarian towns of Sátoraljaújhely and Szerencs belong to the latter category.
Following the adoption of the law, the Hungarian unit of Tesco said its main concern was "the consequences for customers who will have less choice about where to shop and for employees who currently work on Sundays and will be denied that opportunity.”
British retailer Tesco now said that out of the 209 supermarkets of the chain in Hungary, two will continue to operate on Sundays.
Other retailers will also have a limited number of their outlets open on Sundays. According to a survey conducted by the HVG weekly, three out of the 163 Lidl stores will be allowed to operate on Sundays. Spar Hungary, with a total of 392 stores, operates some of its small outlets at petrol stations, and 19 of these will not fall into the scope of the new legislation banning Sunday shopping.
Overall, less than three per cent of all retail chains will remain open on Sundays in Hungary.
© 2015 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article written by László Juhász.
