Overview

• The draft law, currently under cabinet review, would allow 24-hour unmanned micro-stores across Thuringia without requiring county-specific exemptions.
• Proposed regulations limit store sizes to 150 square meters and assortments to essential goods like groceries, household items, and hygiene products.
• The legislation seeks to eliminate legal uncertainties for operators while preserving traditional Sunday labor rest norms.
• Industry representatives, including Tante Enso, have raised concerns about operational requirements such as mandatory temporary store partitions.
• The initiative responds to rural supermarket closures, aiming to improve access to basic goods in underserved communities.