by Le Matin. The National council thinks shops should stay open until 8pm across all of Switzerland. 115 members against 68 would like to see shop opening hours harmonised across the country. The proposal would mean that retailers across Switzerland would be allowed to open from 6am until 8pm from Monday to Friday and from 6am until 6pm on Saturdays. Public holidays would be exempted and cantons would be able to opt for longer opening hours if they chose to. A fight against cross-border shopping PLR member, Johann Schneider-Ammann, supports the move as a way to reduce cross-border shopping, which took off with the rise of the Swiss franc. Christian Lüscher (PLR/GE), said CHF 11 billion was spent abroad in 2014. In border cantons, one purchase in two is made over the border. Some Swiss are travelling around 100 km to shop in neighbouring countries, said Dominique de Buman (PDC/FR). © Rene Van Den Berg | Dreamstime.com France, Austria and especially Italy have much more liberal opening hours. Retailers set up on the border to attract Swiss customers. One study cited showed that 22% of Swiss stated opening hours as a reason for shopping outside Switzerland. Fans of the change say harmonizing permitted opening hours will bring money, tax and jobs back to Switzerland.
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Le Matin.
The National council thinks shops should stay open until 8pm across all of Switzerland. 115 members against 68 would like to see shop opening hours harmonised across the country.
The proposal would mean that retailers across Switzerland would be allowed to open from 6am until 8pm from Monday to Friday and from 6am until 6pm on Saturdays. Public holidays would be exempted and cantons would be able to opt for longer opening hours if they chose to.
A fight against cross-border shopping
PLR member, Johann Schneider-Ammann, supports the move as a way to reduce cross-border shopping, which took off with the rise of the Swiss franc. Christian Lüscher (PLR/GE), said CHF 11 billion was spent abroad in 2014. In border cantons, one purchase in two is made over the border. Some Swiss are travelling around 100 km to shop in neighbouring countries, said Dominique de Buman (PDC/FR).
© Rene Van Den Berg | Dreamstime.com
France, Austria and especially Italy have much more liberal opening hours. Retailers set up on the border to attract Swiss customers. One study cited showed that 22% of Swiss stated opening hours as a reason for shopping outside Switzerland.
Fans of the change say harmonizing permitted opening hours will bring money, tax and jobs back to Switzerland.
Bad for employees
Those against say it will be bad for employees and don’t buy the argument that there is be no obligation to open longer. Susanne Leutenegger Oberholzer (PS/BL) thinks it will affect work conditions, especially for women who are trying to juggle work with family life.
Those against also argue that it is prices that are sending Swiss shoppers across the border, not opening hours.
Another challenge to the plan is that it runs roughshod over the will of cantons, known as cantonal sovereignty.
The changes would make no difference to twelve cantons that already have opening hours at least as liberal as those proposed. The twelve are AG, AI, BL, BS, GL, NW, OW, SH, SZ, TG, and ZH. French speaking cantons are notably absent from this list. GE, VD, VS, FR, NE, and JU would all be forced to make changes.
Now the draft bill needs approval by the 46-member state council.
Bern wants shops to stay open longer (Le Matin – in French) – Take a 5 minute French test now
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