Oslo city council pushes to overturn strict Sunday shopping ban

Oslo’s city council for culture and business has sharply criticised Norway’s strict Sunday trading laws, calling them outdated and harmful to the capital’s economy, Dagbladet reports.

Mehmet Kaan Inan (Conservative Party), the council member responsible for culture and business, argues that current regulations prevent Oslo from becoming a vibrant, attractive city. “Oslo should be a lively city with shopping, restaurants, and cultural life—every day of the week—for both residents and visitors,” Inan wrote in an email to Dagbladet.

The criticism follows a recent police report filed by the trade union Handel og Kontor against the agricultural cooperative Felleskjøpet, which operates 36 stores on Sundays. The union claims the chain is violating the law, while Felleskjøpet maintains it complies with existing regulations.

Inan accused the national government of pursuing an “Oslo-hostile” policy, citing past rejections of local attempts to ease restrictions. A 2024 proposal to grant tourist status to Karl Johans gate—a central shopping street—was denied by the county governor, who ruled that the area did not qualify as a “smaller location” under the law and lacked sufficient tourist-dependent trade.

The council member pointed to other Nordic capitals, such as Stockholm and Copenhagen, where Sunday shopping is permitted, and argued that Oslo’s record tourism levels justify similar flexibility. “There’s no reason Oslo can’t manage this as well,” he stated.

Norway’s current Sunday trading laws generally prohibit shops from opening, with exceptions for small grocery stores (under 100 sq m), gas stations, kiosks, souvenir shops, and certain airport or train station outlets. Municipalities can designate “typical tourist areas” for limited Sunday trading, but Oslo’s past applications have been rejected.

Inan framed the issue as one of personal freedom: “Oslo should be a free city. People should choose for themselves whether to shop on a Saturday or a Sunday. It’s not the role of politicians to restrict the market—these opening hours should be determined by the market itself.”