More and more supermarkets in Belgium are opening their doors on Sundays. But how does this trend impact consumer shopping behavior? At Accurat, a specialist in consumer behavior and location intelligence, we analyzed supermarket visits in Belgium from January to August 2024 vs 2023 using our MarketMonitor tool—and the results are striking.

More Shoppers on Sundays in Belgium

Our analysis of Belgian supermarkets shows that the share of consumers shopping on Sundays increased by 6.09% in the first eight months of 2024 compared to the same period in 2023. This shift was even more pronounced during the summer months (June – August), where the increase reached 12.18%.

This suggests that the growing trend of Sunday openings is influencing shopping behavior in Belgium, with more people taking advantage of supermarkets that operate on Sundays.

Additionally, our data highlights a major peak in December (based on 2023 trends), which is expected to remain a key period for Sunday shopping due to the holiday season.

Graph: share of shoppers also shopping on Sunday

Sunday Mornings: The Busiest Time of the Week

While Sundays still record fewer total visitors than weekdays due to limited opening hours, for Belgian supermarkets that do open, Sunday morning is the busiest time of the week.

• The peak shopping hours on Sundays are between 10 AM and 12 PM.
• After noon, foot traffic declines significantly as many supermarkets close in the afternoon.

For those who prefer a quieter shopping experience, here’s a useful tip: The best time to shop on weekends in Belgium is between 9 and 10 AM, both on Saturdays and Sundays. This is when supermarkets are at their quietest.

What Does This Mean for the Future of Belgian Retail?

According to Bart Muskala, CEO of Accurat, the data confirms that Sunday openings are a strong business case in Belgium:

"The fact that Sunday openings are an interesting business case is no surprise. Our visitor data already shows positive signals. This is reinforced by the fact that many independent supermarkets are choosing to open on Sundays. However, what might be more surprising is that Sunday mornings are immediately the busiest mornings of the week for these stores. It’s therefore not surprising that many large (integrated) supermarket chains in Belgium are considering what to do with Sundays in the future."

With more shoppers embracing Sunday grocery shopping and major supermarket chains evaluating their Sunday strategies, it’s likely that Sunday openings will continue to grow in importance in Belgium. The big question is: Will even more supermarkets follow suit in 2025?