Closed shops on Sundays
For a good portion of the year, most stores in Finland are completely closed on Sundays thanks to heavy government regulation. But they’re discussing about deregulation..
Many believe that the most workable of the recommendations is that the moderate deregulation of store opening hours will be continued. Sunday trading would be permitted for all retailers from May through to Christmas. Further liberation of opening hours could also be considered in some new areas, for instance the home furnishing, building supplies, and hardware trades.
The two extremes on the table were the restriction of opening hours from even the present situation and complete deregulation, with responsibility for when the stores’ doors are open passed completely to the retailers themselves.
I’ve never understood this – why the heck can’t all stores have the freedom to open their doors on Sundays? Are we still abiding by God’s rule to rest on the sabbath or something? Couldn’t the unemployed, part-timers, the poor or students get real boost by having the opportunity to work on Sundays?




