Large Shops Must Close for Holidays from October

Czech Statehood Day (September 28) 2016 is the last national holiday that supermarkets and other large stores can remain open

Dave Park

Written by Dave Park Published on 27.09.2016 16:15:40 (updated on 27.09.2016) Reading time: 1 minute

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Plan on doing some grocery shopping during tomorrow’s public holiday, Czech Statehood Day?

Relish the opportunity: it might be your last.

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Earlier this year, Czech president Miloš Zeman signed into law a new regulation mandating that all retail shops over 200 square meters in size must be closed during seven of the most important national holidays on the Czech calendar. 

Those holidays are:

  • New Year’s Day (January 1)
  • Easter Monday
  • Liberation Day (May 8)
  • Czech Statehood Day (September 28)
  • Independent Czechoslovak State Day (October 28)
  • Christmas Day (December 25)
  • St. Stephen’s Day (December 26)

Additionally, on Christmas Eve (December 24) shops may only open until 12:00.

Exempted from the new regulation are all shops under 200m, pharmacies and gas stations (thanks for that), and shops located in hospitals, airports, and train stations.

The size limit, 200 square meters, isn’t especially large. It will affect popular destinations like Marks and Spencer, for instance.

Fines for breaching the law can be levied in an amount up to 1 million crowns.

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The law will take effect from this October, meaning all large shops will be mandatory closed for next month’s Independent Czechoslovak State Day. Since it falls on a Friday, it’s the perfect time for a short getaway.

And relish the opportunity to take care of some shopping tomorrow on a rare weekday off work. It will be the last time a large shop in the Czech Republic may remain open on a national holiday.

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