In 2018 shops could be closed to Kraków shoppers, as a result of holidays and a proposed Sunday trading ban,  on as many as 39 days, if the ban on Sunday trading comes into effect on 1st January which the government are determined it will.

The draft law on the prohibition of Sunday trading, is currently being considered by the Polish parliament.  If approved, in it’s amended form, the ban will restrict trading on the first, third and fifth Sunday of the month.  In practice, this would mean for example that in May and December shops will be closed for up to 5 days. But only 2 days in February, June and October.

The draft bill was submitted by several groups, including the Solidarity trade union. The groups managed to gather the 100,000 signatures required for parliament to consider the proposal.

The bill plans to prevent shops opening on Sundays, though it allows multiple exceptions including petrol stations, bakeries, newsagents, some small shops and all shops at railway stations and airports, and certain dates, ie the Sunday before Christmas. You may be pleased to know that there would be no ban either on  funeral parlours,  florists. or online stores.  Large wholesalers such as Makro and Selgros may be allowed to open on Sunday, to allow stores to restock, ready for the coming weeks trading.

The Government also rejected Solidarity’s proposal that those breaking the ban should be punished with up to 2 years imprisonment !!

PiS spokeswoman Beata Mazurek was adamant that:

“We are determined to restrain trade on Sunday from 1 January 2018,”

In most European Union countries, purchases can be made in principle without any restrictions.  Trading on Sunday and holidays is almost totally banned in Germany and Austria, with partial restrictions applying to Belgium, France, Greece, the Netherlands and Luxembourg.  Outside the EU  Switzerland and Norway also ban Sunday trading. Check the map at BIQdata.pl .

 

There is some doubt as to whether the law can be in place by the start of 2018, and it may well be challenged by some retailers who may protest or refer the law to the European Commission.

If the Sunday trading ban does go aead as planned, your shopping calendar for 2018 will look something  like this:

Shopping Holidays and Sunday Closing 2018
English Polish
January

1st- Monday – New Year
6th – Saturday – Three Kings
7th – Sunday trade ban
21st –
Sunday trade ban

1 stycznia, poniedziałek – święto
6 stycznia, sobota – Trzech Króli
7 stycznia, niedziela – zakaz handlu
21 stycznia, niedziela – zakaz handlu
February

4th – Sunday trade ban
18th – Sunday trade ban

4 lutego, niedziela – zakaz handlu
18 lutego, niedziela, zakaz handlu
March

4th Sunday trade ban
18th Sunday trade ban
31st  Good Friday – open to 2pm

4 marca, niedziela, zakaz handlu
18 marca, niedziela, zakaz handlu
31 marca, Wielki Piątek – do godz. 14
April 1st – Easter
2nd – Easter
15th – Sunday trade ban
29th – Sunday trade ban
1 kwietnia, Wielkanoc
2 kwietnia, Wielkanoc
15 kwietnia, niedziela, zakaz handlu
29 kwietnia, niedziela, zakaz handlu
May 1st – Labour Day
3rd – Constitution Day
6th – Sunday trade ban
20th – Sunday trade ban
30th – Corpus Christi
1 maja, Święto Pracy
3 maja, Święto Konstytucji
6 maja, niedziela – zakaz handlu
20 maja, niedziela, zakaz handlu
30 maja, Boże Ciało
June 3rd – Sunday trade ban
17th- Sunday trade ban
3 czerwca, niedziela – zakaz handlu
17 czerwca, niedziela – zakaz handlu
July 1st – Sunday trade ban
15th – Sunday trade ban
29th – Sunday trade ban
1 lipca, niedziela – zakaz handlu
15 lipca, niedziela – zakaz handlu
29 lipca, niedziela – zakaz handlu
August 5th – Sunday trade ban
15th – Assumption
19th – Sunday trade ban
5 sierpnia, niedziela – zakaz handlu
15 sierpnia Święto Wniebowzięcia
19 sierpnia, niedziela – zakaz handlu
September  2nd – Sunday trade ban
16th – Sunday trade ban
30th – Sunday trade ban
2 września, niedziela – zakaz handlu
16 września, niedziela – zakaz handlu
30 września, niedziela – zakaz handlu
October 7th – Sunday trade ban
21st – Sunday trade ban
 7 października, niedziela – zakaz handlu
21 października, niedziela – zakaz handlu
November 1st – All Saints
4th – Sunday trade ban
11th – National Independence Day
18th – Sunday trade ban
 1 listopada, Wszystkich Świętych
4 listopada, niedziela – zakaz handlu
11 listopada Narodowe Niepodległości
18 listopada, niedziela – zakaz handlu
December 2nd – Sunday trade ban
16th – Sunday trade ban
24th Christmas Eve/Wigilia to 2pm
25th Christmas Day
26th Boxing Day
30th – Sunday trade ban
 2 grudnia, niedziela – zakaz handlu
16 grudnia, niedziela – zakaz handlu
24 grudnia Wigilia –  handlu do godz. 14
25 grudnia Boże Narodzenie
26 grudnia Boże Narodzenie
30 grudnia, niedziela – zakaz handlu

   SHOPPING HOLIDAYS CALENDAR 2018 – Download and Print PDF

What do you think?  Does the ban on Sunday trading make sense?

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