Shopping on Holy Saturday. Shops close earlier than usual

Those who haven’t had time to do their Christmas shopping yet have their last chance on Holy Saturday. However, you must remember about the limitations.

According to the provisions of the Act on Restriction of Trade on Sundays and Holidays, stores must stop selling after 2 p.m.

After this time, the employee cannot serve customers, and the owner cannot entrust anyone with trade work or trade-related activities.

Shop opening hours on Holy Saturday

Although trading is allowed by law until 2 p.m., many large chains decide to close earlier. In practice, this means that there are a few hours left for shopping before Easter, because most chains close at 1:00 p.m. or 1:30 p.m.:

• Lidl: until 1:00 p.m

• Kaufland: until 1:00 p.m

• Auchan: until 1:00 p.m

• Carrefour: until 1:00 p.m

• Aldi: until 1:30 p.m

• Biedronka: until 1:30 p.m

• Dino: until 1:30 p.m

Penalties for breaking the trade ban

There are high financial penalties for violating the regulations. Pursuant to Art. 15 section 1 of the Act on Restriction of Trade on Sundays and Holidays, who, contrary to the prohibition, entrusts an employee with the performance of trade work, shall be subject to a fine ranging from PLN 1,000 to PLN 100,000. This includes both trading after 2 p.m. on Holy Saturday and illegal sales on prohibited days.

Where will we shop on Easter?

On Easter Sunday and Monday, there is a total ban on trading in large chains. Exceptions include:

• gas stations,

• pharmacies and pharmacy points,

• flower shops,

• gastronomy – restaurants, cafes and other catering outlets,

• postal facilities – if revenues from postal services exceed 40%. turnover,

• small shops run personally by the owner.

Shop opening hours on Easter

The opening hours of points operating on Easter Sunday and Monday may differ not only from the standard ones, but also from those on non-trading Sundays. Gas stations and pharmacies are often open 24 hours a day, and small stores set their schedule individually. Before leaving, it is worth checking the current hours on websites or applications to avoid unpleasant surprises.