Overview
- Nationwide, the big chains including Aldi, Lidl, Rewe, Edeka and Kaufland are closed on Dec. 25 and 26, and Heiligabend trading ended by early afternoon in line with law.
- Legal exceptions allow selected outlets at travel hubs to open; Rewe at Düsseldorf Airport (Dec. 25: 6–22, Dec. 26: 6–22), Cologne/Bonn Airport (Dec. 25: 6–24, Dec. 26: open through the day) and Münster Hbf (Dec. 25–26: 10–16) are operating.
- Lidl at Essen Hauptbahnhof and the nearby Aldi at Willy-Brandt-Platz are open on both holidays from 9:00 to 20:00, after closing at 14:00 on Dec. 24.
- NRW rules permit bakeries to open for up to five hours on the first Christmas Day, while the second holiday is largely closed for bakeries; petrol stations, some station shops and farm vending machines remain fallback options.
- Consumers are advised to plan for a renewed rush when regular hours resume on Dec. 27, and those seeking outings will find many Christmas markets in NRW and Berlin still running through Dec. 30 or into early January.