{"id":2403,"date":"2014-02-03T23:37:35","date_gmt":"2014-02-03T23:37:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/dutch\/?p=2403"},"modified":"2014-02-06T14:16:32","modified_gmt":"2014-02-06T14:16:32","slug":"the-koopavond-and-koopzondag","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/dutch\/the-koopavond-and-koopzondag\/","title":{"rendered":"The Koopavond and Koopzondag"},"content":{"rendered":"

In the Netherlands, shops and stores are opened more and more on Sundays. There is a general trend in the world, also known as the 24\/7 economy. However, as obvious as it seems nowadays for shops opening their doors on Sundays, you might be surprised why it is not in the Netherlands.<\/p>\n

The Netherlands has been a Christian country for centuries, which is the dominant factor for the whole debate. Christian ideas are entrenched in the Dutch culture, such as Sunday as the day of rest. It has long been that way, but in the last years that changed. The 24\/7 economy also arrived here. This economy goes together with the freedom of religion, which rejects the sacred values of the Christian Sunday as only truth before the law. Now, I do not want to say that 24\/7 shopping is a bad thing. It is quite handy that supermarkets are open from noon until 6 pm when you still need something, or when you and your friends decided to have a dinner on short notice on Sunday night. You should at least bring some drinks, and what can you do if you don’t have any at home? Yes, you buy some. So it also has its good sides.<\/p>\n

On the other hand, it is a decay of how the culture in the Netherlands used to be. A compromise was introduced, the so-called koopzondag<\/i> (literally “purchase Sunday”). Shops open, exceptionally, on Sunday. Another day like that, which is vanishing, is the koopavond <\/i>(literally “purchase evening”). The idea is the same, just that shops are open until late in the evening, like 9 pm. Whereas normally, they close at 6 pm, or even 5 pm. Supermarkets have made the biggest move in this: they are open 8 am – 10 pm, except on Sundays. More and more, other shops follow, especially the national chains. Smaller, local businesses cannot sustain the koopavond <\/i>this way. So even that tradition loses ground.<\/p>\n

The Sunday has legally been exempted as a day for any shop to open in the\u00a0Winkeltijdenwet (<\/em>Opening Hours Act) of 1996. Now, exceptions to that are possible too. Certain branches are not included, and more and more warrants are given to shops under certain circumstances to exempt them. Municipalities have much say in this. They can determine if a certain branch can be open on Sundays. The prime example are the already mentioned supermarkets, which use this opportunity exhaustively.<\/p>\n

Do not worry, however, about restaurants, bars hotels, and so on, the so-called Horeca\u00a0<\/em>(short for\u00a0Hotels, Restaurants,\u00a0<\/em>and\u00a0Catering<\/em>). They do not fall under this law and thus can open on Sundays.<\/p>\n

What way it will go, I do not know. Though I could imagine it will go towards more 24\/7, and eventually the\u00a0Winkeltijdenwet\u00a0<\/em>will be abolished.\u00a0Jammer\u00a0<\/em>(a shame) or\u00a0geweldig\u00a0<\/em>(great)? Let me know in the comments!<\/p>\n

\"IMG_0831\"<\/p>\n

Hoog-Catharijne,\u00a0<\/em>a shopping mall at the Utrecht Centraal Station\u00a0<\/i>(Utrecht Central Station), offers winkels\u00a0<\/em>(shops) that are open 7 days a week, and likes to advertise with it too – which also shows how new it still is.<\/p>\n

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In the Netherlands, shops and stores are opened more and more on Sundays. There is a general trend in the world, also known as the 24\/7 economy. However, as obvious as it seems nowadays for shops opening their doors on Sundays, you might be surprised why it is not in the Netherlands. The Netherlands has…<\/p>\n

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