Half of Belgians in favour of longer opening hours, study shows

More than half of consumers want to shop on Sundays, and to shop longer in the evenings, according to a study of 1,300 Belgians. Young people are especially in favour of longer opening hours, writes Knack.

Half of the Belgians surveyed would like to shop later than 18.00, the time when most businesses close their doors. More than half of those surveyed say that 19.00 is a better closing time, and a quarter of the respondents even suggest 20.00.

"It is primarily the younger consumers who find that the shops close too early," says Anneleen Desmyter, CEO of retail property specialist QRF which led the study. "Cities with a lot of young people and tourists stand to benefit the most from a policy of longer opening hours. Why not close a shop on Thursday morning, for example, in order to stay open longer that evening?"