[REVISION HISTORY]

Polish Sunday trading ban and legislative updates

Updated 16 times since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

What changed

2026-09-27 00:58 UTC → 2026-09-28 08:43 UTC · added ~~removed~~

Poland’s law limits regular retail activity to eight designated Sundays per year. In mid‑June 2026, the French hypermarket chain E. Leclerc opened its Radom store every Sunday, citing a “reading‑room” cultural exemption. This tactic, involving the creation of a “Reader Club” or library corner, has been condemned by labour unions like Solidarity as a circumvention of the ban's intent. Other retailers, including Intermarche in Poznań, have reportedly adopted similar “Reader Club” models to maintain seven-day service. Public opinion remains split; a SW Research poll shows 43.9% of Poles favour scrapping the ban and 41.3% oppose it. Parliamentary petitions seek to reduce permitted Sundays from eight to four. The official 2026 schedule of allowed trading dates includes 25 January, 29 March, 26 April, 28 June, 30 August, 6, 13, and 20 December. Following the August 30 shopping Sunday, the next scheduled date was not until 6 December 2026. Consequently, most retail outlets, including supermarkets and shopping malls, remain closed throughout September, October, and November. In September 2026, the Polish Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy continued its review of a petition regarding Sunday trading. The petition specifically requests that employees working weekends or shift systems be guaranteed a continuous block of rest, totaling a minimum of 59 uninterrupted ~~hours (combining 48 hours of leave with daily rest periods).~~ hours. The Ministry is expected to respond to this proposal by November 5, 2026. Additionally, a legislative proposal has passed its first reading in the Sejm. This proposal suggests easing restrictions by allowing trade on the first and third Sunday of every month, provided additional worker guarantees are included. Such changes could impact Lithuanian citizens who frequently travel to Polish cities like Suvalkai or Augustow for shopping.

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