Shop opening hours and sales in Berlin: public holidays and Sundays

In Berlin, shops may open 24 hours a day from Monday to Saturday, but must stay closed on Sundays and public holidays; in practice, most close in the evening between 8pm and 10pm. This guide gives the usual hours, the public holidays when shops are shut, the general shopping Sundays, the sales periods and the tax refund for visitors from outside the EU. It complements the guide Berlin on Sundays, which details what stays open that day. Rules checked in October 2026 on the City of Berlin website (berlin.de); check a specific shop's hours on its own website.

Usual hours, Monday to Saturday

The KaDeWe department store in Schöneberg

Berlin's opening-hours law sets no closing time from Monday to Saturday: each shopkeeper chooses. In practice:

supermarkets often open early in the morning and close in the evening, around 9pm or 10pm, some later;
department stores and shopping centres, such as KaDeWe or Bikini Berlin, generally close in the evening, more often around 8pm;
neighbourhood boutiques often open around 10am and close between 6pm and 8pm;
Spätis open late, see Spätkauf in Berlin.

These are habits, not a rule: check the posted hours or the shop's website. On a Saturday evening, supermarkets are stormed before the Sunday closure.

Sundays and public holidays: everything is shut

On Sundays and public holidays, shops are closed, with rare exceptions (bakeries, florists, kiosks, stations, petrol stations, duty pharmacies). The details are in the guide Berlin on Sundays. Restaurants, cafés, bars and museums are not affected.

Public holidays in Berlin in 2026 (shops are then closed): 1 January, 8 March (International Women's Day, a holiday in Berlin), Good Friday 3 April, Easter Monday 6 April, 1 May, Ascension Day 14 May, Whit Monday 25 May, 3 October (German Unity Day), 25 and 26 December. Shop the day before; on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve many shops close earlier, so check the hours (see Christmas in Berlin and New Year's Eve in Berlin).

General shopping Sundays

The city may authorise up to 8 Sundays a year when shops open from 1pm to 8pm. For 2026, the dates in published calendars are 25 January, 21 June, 6 December and 20 December. 1 May, Good Friday and Easter Sunday stay closed in every case. Check the date before planning a trip: these decisions can be challenged.

Sales

In Germany there are no longer legal sales dates: retailers set their discounts when they wish. The big periods are usually late January to February (winter sales) and July to August (summer sales), with "Sale" or "Rabatt" signs in windows. Discounts deepen during the period; sale items cannot always be exchanged, so ask about the returns policy at the till.

Tax refund for non-EU visitors

If you live outside the European Union, you can claim back VAT on purchases carried in your luggage, provided you meet a minimum amount per invoice and have the form stamped at customs when leaving the EU. The conditions (minimum amount, deadline, refund through a tax-refund operator) depend on the shop: ask for the form at the till and check the German customs administration's website before you leave.

Where to shop, open or closed

For the main shopping streets, see Kurfürstendamm and its surroundings. Flea markets are open at the weekend, see Mauerpark and the markets of Berlin. For paying in shops, see paying in Berlin.