Overview

• A YouGov poll conducted July 23–25 finds 59 percent of Germans oppose more frequent Sunday store openings, with just 34 percent in favor.
• Duale Hochschule Baden-Württemberg data show 723 Smart Stores are now operating nationwide, including 13 in Saxony and 10 in Saxony-Anhalt, with new openings nearly every day.
• Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Hessen, Sachsen-Anhalt and Bavaria have amended their shop-closing laws to formally permit 24/7 unmanned retail outlets.
• DHBW user surveys report over 80 percent of Smart Store patrons say the outlets simplify daily life and enhance local communities, and operators note Sundays account for about 30 percent of revenue.
• The church-union Allianz für den freien Sonntag and the Verdi trade union continue to challenge automated Sunday openings, and further legislative or judicial clarification is pending.