The short answer upfront: Yes, shopping on Sundays is possible in Italy, and in many cities and tourist destinations it is quite straightforward. However, there is no single nationwide rule, because since the liberalization of opening hours in December 2011, each business and each retail chain decides for itself when to open. Those looking to shop in northern Italy, in Milan or Bolzano for example, will have a different experience than someone in a village of 300 people in the south who wants to combine a Sunday stroll with a shopping trip .
The legal situation: The Salva-Italia decree as a turning point
The basis for current practice is Legislative Decree 201/2011, better known as the Salva-Italia decree, which the Monti government issued at the end of 2011 in response to a looming sovereign debt crisis. Article 31 of the decree abolishes the previously applicable restrictions on store opening hours and establishes that retail and food service businesses may operate without mandatory Sunday or holiday closures and without a required half-day off per week. Stores may be open between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m., for a maximum of 13 hours per day. Within this framework, each operator is free to set its own hours, something the Istituto Bruno Leoni has addressed in detail in a dedicated FAQ for the retail sector itself.
The political debate surrounding this regulation continues to this day. As recently as March 2026 the trade unions Filcams Cgil, Fisascat Cisl, and Uiltucs called on parliament to promptly address legislative proposals aimed at reintroducing restrictions on Sunday and holiday openings. The retail sector employs more than three million people in Italy, making the question of rest days a particularly sensitive one. At the moment, however, no concrete changes to the legal situation appear imminent, so travelers can continue to rely on the current state of affairs.
Which supermarkets are open on Sundays
In practice, on a typical Sunday outside of holiday periods, most of the major supermarket chains in Italy are open, though rarely with their full weekday hours. A reduced Sunday schedule is common, often running from 8 or 9 a.m. through the early evening, and in smaller stores sometimes only until 1 p.m. Whether a particular store opens, and for how long, generally depends on the individual location rather than on a uniform corporate decision.
In concrete terms, this means: Conad, Carrefour, Coop, Esselunga, Lidl, Eurospin, Aldi, Pam, and Despar are widely accessible on Sundays, with Coop cooperatives and Esselunga operating some of the longest Sunday hours in many cities. In northern Italy and in tourist centers such as Milan, Bologna, Verona, Florence, Rome, and along the coasts of Liguria and Campania, the density of markets open on Sundays is high. In smaller towns in southern Italy or in mountain regions, travelers will often find only a single market with morning hours, or none at all. An overview of the major chains and their regional presence has been compiled in the article on supermarkets in Italy on this site.
Where Sundays get more complicated
Not everywhere in Italy does Sunday retail follow the same pattern. In many smaller towns and mountain villages shops remain completely closed on Sundays, either because operating simply isn't cost-effective or because store staff insist on having Sundays off. In southern Italy and Sicily, Sunday is traditionally more firmly rooted as a family day, which is also reflected in reduced retail hours. Anyone planning to shop around midday should additionally account for the classic Italian Pausa pranzo which sends smaller stores into a rest period typically between 1:00 and 4:00 p.m.
A special rule applies in the autonomous provinces of Bolzano and Trento: Due to their special autonomous status, both provinces maintain their own jurisdiction over retail and take a more restrictive approach to Sunday openings. In smaller towns in South Tyrol and Trentino in particular, it can happen that virtually all stores remain closed on Sundays. In the provincial capital Bolzano, the situation is somewhat more relaxed, though checking the opening hours of individual chains on-site is still recommended.
Special case: public holidays deserve a closer look at the calendar
In Italy, public holidays are handled considerably more strictly than ordinary Sundays. While the Salva-Italia rule leaves Sunday trading to the discretion of each operator, many chains take a more restrictive approach on national holidays. For example, Esselunga closes all of its locations company-wide on Easter, May 1, and other major public holidays, while Coop Alleanza 3.0 likewise communicates a closed policy for those days "per scelta", meaning by deliberate choice. Conad on the other hand has special opening schedules for many public holidays, but refers shoppers to its store locator since individual locations handle things differently.
Particularly relevant are Italy's 12 national public holidays: New Year's Day, Epiphany, Easter Sunday and Easter Monday, Liberation Day (April 25), Labor Day (May 1), Republic Day (June 2), Ferragosto (August 15), All Saints' Day (November 1), Immaculate Conception (December 8), Christmas, and St. Stephen's Day (December 26). These are supplemented by the respective local patron saint's days. Related to this topic is our overview of public holidays and long weekends in Italy in 2026, which shows the practical implications for travel and everyday life in detail.
Practical Tips for Travelers
For those vacationing in Italy or in the process of moving there, a few rules of thumb will help navigate the Sunday shopping question. In larger cities and popular vacation destinations, there is generally at least one supermarket open on Sundays within reasonable distance, often with reduced staff and shorter hours. Fresh fruit, vegetables, bread, and the essentials are available, though some fresh-food counters may be closed. In smaller towns, it is advisable to treat Saturday as the main shopping day and head into Sunday with a well-stocked refrigerator.
Those planning to settle in a rural area would do well to familiarize themselves with the hours of the local alimentari or mini-market, as many smaller shops keep their own distinctive schedules. A drive to the nearest ipermercato outside of town can also be a good option on Sundays, since these larger formats often stay open continuously throughout the weekend. For precise timing, it is worth checking the store locator of the relevant chain or making a quick call to the store in question before heading out, especially in the lead-up to Christmas and before public holidays.
A Special Case: Farmacia di turno
Anyone who needs not groceries but medications or over-the-counter products on a Sunday in Italy should be aware of the Italian on-call pharmacy system, the Pharmacies to keep in mind. In every larger municipality, at least one "farmacia di turno" operates on Sundays and public holidays, meaning a pharmacy on rotating duty that remains open even on days when others are closed. The current duty schedule is posted on the entrance door of every pharmacy, and is often also available on the municipality's website or in the local daily newspaper. In larger cities such as Milan, Rome, or Naples, some pharmacies maintain continuous 24-hour service. How the system works in detail, what distinguishes a farmacia from a parafarmacia, and what travelers should be aware of when it comes to prescription medications is covered in our dedicated article on pharmacies in Italy
What travelers should keep in mind for Sunday shopping
Sunday shopping in Italy involves more than just figuring out which stores are open. Paying by card works just as smoothly on Sundays: as of January 1, 2026, all Italian businesses are required to link electronic payment terminals to their cash register system making card payments practically universally accepted. Bags at Italian supermarkets almost always cost extra and must be requested at the checkout; bringing a reusable tote is perfectly fine. For fresh produce, single-use plastic bags remain standard, with weighing and label printing handled by staff in some chains and by customers themselves in others.
Whether Sunday shopping in Italy turns out to be easy or frustrating ultimately depends less on the law than on the combination of location, chain, and time of year. Anyone unsure whether a particular store will be open, especially in mountain regions and in the south, is better off checking the website or calling ahead rather than arriving to find the doors locked.
