Do shops in Germany open on 2nd Jan?
We will travel to Stuttgart in Germany from 1st to 3rd of January. Will the shops there be open on 2nd of January or remain closed like in Switzerland and Bavaria? We are mostly interested in the large shopping malls and clothes shops. I know that most small businesses are closed till 4th Jan but what about the malls and "big brand"-shops (H&M/C&A/ZARA, Kaufland/Aldi/Lidl, Müller/DM, etc.)?
I found the websites of said companies to be inconclusive about this question at best, so I wonder if 2nd of January is a public holiday in Germany like in Switzerland or if it is a "normal" Saturday with most shops open.
Best Answer
As @DCLib has explained 2nd of January 2016 is not a public holiday and is a Saturday so most shops are opened, unless it's some local shops that are "on holiday".
Do note that on 3rd January 2016 is a Sunday but shops may still be opened depending on the city/state. For 3rd Jan 2016, these states have shops opened (usually their main city (haupstadt) central and possibly surrounding area):
- Baden-Württemberg
- Bayern
- Berlin
- Brandenburg
- Bremen
- Hamburg
- Hessen
- Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
- Niedersachsen
- Nordrhein-Westfalen
- Rheinland-Pflaz
- Saarland
- Sachsen
- Sachsen-Anhalt
- Schleswig-Holstein
- Thüringen
Keep a look out for verkaufsoffene Sonntage (http://www.verkaufsoffene-sonntage.com/sonntagsverkauf-2016/januar-2016/03-01-2016/) !!! It might some day save you from a hungry or shopless day in Germany
Pictures about "Do shops in Germany open on 2nd Jan?"
What days do stores closed in Germany?
In general, German shops are closed on Sundays. Exceptions are bakeries, shops at gas stations (open 24/7), or grocery stores in train stations.Are supermarkets open on public holidays in Germany?
On public holidays here, most supermarkets and stores are closed, with the exception of petrol stations and some smaller shops. As with most things, public holidays also vary from state to state.Why shops are closed today in Germany?
Germany has a relatively generous number of public holidays (gesetzliche Feiertage). Like Sundays, these days are designated by law as days of rest, meaning that banks and shops are often closed.What time do stores open in Germany?
Monday to Friday: Shops open between 6:00 (that early normally only bakeries, newspaper shops) and 10:00 and close at 20:00. In the country or in more remote parts of town, shops will already close at 18:00 or 18:30. Shops in small towns can be expected to close at lunch time, from around 12:30 to 14:30.7 Things NOT TO DO Shopping in Germany
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