Store opening hours

In Hesse, retail establishments may be open for business with customers on weekdays from 0:00 to 24:00.

Retail establishments must be closed to the public during the following times:

• on Sundays and holidays,
• on Maundy Thursday starting at 8:00 p.m.,
• on December 24, if that day falls on a weekday, starting at 2:00 p.m., and
• on December 31, if that day falls on a weekday, starting at 2:00 p.m.

During these times, it is also prohibited to offer goods for sale to the general public outside of retail establishments.

Notwithstanding the above, the following are permitted:

• gas stations, between 12:00 a.m. and 11:59 p.m., to sell fuel, spare parts for maintaining or restoring the roadworthiness of motor vehicles, and travel supplies;
• retail outlets at international commercial airports, airports, and passenger rail stations from 12:00 a.m. to 11:59 p.m., though at airports and passenger rail stations only for the sale of travel supplies,
• "digital micro-supermarkets," that is, fully automated retail outlets with a sales area of up to 120 square meters that exclusively offer daily necessities and consumer goods and are operated without sales staff via digital solutions from 0:00 to 24:00
• kiosks for a period of 6 hours for the sale of newspapers, magazines, tobacco products, food, and luxury foods in small quantities,
• Retail outlets that primarily sell baked goods or pastries, for a period of 6 hours for the sale of fresh baked goods and pastries,
• Retail outlets that offer a significant selection of flowers, for a period of 6 hours for the sale of flowers, and
• Retail outlets of agricultural businesses, farm stores, and cooperative retail outlets for a period of 6 hours for the sale of self-produced agricultural products
• Retail outlets in spa towns, tourist destinations, and pilgrimage sites, for up to 40 Sundays or holidays per year, for the sale of travel supplies, sports equipment, religious articles, goods characteristic of these locations, and items for tourists (opening hours on these days may not exceed 8 hours)

.

In addition, municipalities are authorized to permit the opening of retail outlets on up to 4 Sundays or public holidays per year on the occasion of markets, fairs, local festivals, or similar events. However, the following days are excluded: the Sundays of Advent, Christmas Day and Boxing Day, Good Friday, the Easter holidays, the Pentecost holidays, Corpus Christi, the second-to-last Sunday after Trinity (Remembrance Day), and the last Sunday after Trinity (All Souls’ Sunday) may not be authorized.

The regulations in effect in Hesse do not apply:

• to trade fairs, markets, and exhibitions established under commercial law, or to wholesale markets authorized under commercial law, provided that no goods are offered for sale to the end consumer,
• to the sale of accessories that is closely related to a non-commercial or commercial activity or event permitted under other legal provisions, particularly at cultural and sporting events, in leisure, recreation, and entertainment facilities, in hospitality and lodging establishments, and in museums.

See Nos. 3721–3725 of the Schedule of Administrative Costs (Appendix to the Administrative Cost Regulations for the Hessian Ministry of Social Affairs and Integration (VwKostO-HMSI)).