Belgium Finalizes Reform of Opening Hours Act: Extended Hours and Abolition of Mandatory Weekly Closing Day
On 3 August 2026, the Belgian Official Gazette published the Act amending the opening hours act, which aims to liberalize retail opening hours and abolish the mandatory weekly closing day. The Act applies specifically to the physical sale of goods to consumers, such as supermarkets and clothing shops, and does not generally apply to service providers like hairdressers or restaurants.
Key Provisions of the Reform
- Extended Opening Hours: Retail businesses are now permitted to remain open until 9 p.m. every day, providing greater flexibility to meet consumer demands.
- Abolition of Mandatory Weekly Closing Day: The requirement for retailers to observe a fixed weekly closing day has been removed. While retailers are no longer obligated to close on a specific day each week, they retain the freedom to do so at their discretion.
Implementation and Compliance
The Act entered into force on 13 August 2026, ten days after its publication. Retailers must continue to comply with other applicable legislation, including labor laws, sector-specific regulations, and municipal by-laws. The reform aims to modernize the legislative framework by accommodating changing consumer habits and expectations, influenced in part by the flexible opening hours of online retailers, and by providing retailers with more operational freedom.
For further information or specific inquiries, retailers are encouraged to consult legal experts or contact the authors of the original newsletter.
