The issue of night opening of food shops - including supermarkets and minimarkets - will be worked on by the government over the next 18 months, it was announced on Wednesday. The issue is a contentious one in France, as unions have traditionally opposed measures that would involve employees working more anti-social hours. This summer the first hypermarkets to trial opening on a Sunday afternoon were the target of pickets and protests. Currently most supermarkets close at either 9pm or 9.30pm and among those that do offer 24/7 opening, it is generally only for one day a week. The trial of Sunday afternoon opening - which has been rolled out by the Casino chain - involved automated tills only in the afternoon, meaning that customers cannot buy alcohol or knives.

Source: The Local November 13, 2019 12:53 UTC