During the last meeting of the Gard Rhodanien urban council, the question of Sunday openings of businesses for the year 2025 was debated and adopted. The municipalities of Bagnols-sur-Cèze, Pont-Saint-Espritet Saint-Laurent-des-Arbres requested the urban area to obtain authorization to open their businesses and car dealerships (as well as the Auchan brand newly installed in Saint Laurent des Arbres) on 12 occasions, in accordance with the law of August 6, 2015 relating to growth, activity and equal economic opportunities. Here are the validated calendars for these three cities.
Sunday opening dates
Bagnols-sur-Cèze
The city proposed the following dates:
• January 5, 12 and 19, 2025,
• June 29, 2025,
• July 6 and 20, 2025,
• August 17, 2025,
• November 30, 2025,
• and December 7, 14, 21 and 28, 2025.
These openings coincide with strategic periods such as winter sales, summer holidays and the end of the year, ideal for Christmas shopping.
Pont-Saint-Esprit
For Pont-Saint-Esprit, authorized Sundays are:
• January 5, 2025,
• 20 avril 2025,
• May 25, 2025,
• June 8, 15 and 29, 2025,
• July 27, 2025,
• September 7, 2025,
• as well as December 7, 14, 21 and 28, 2025.
These dates also include key times such as Easter, summer holidays and the Christmas period.
Saint-Laurent-des-Arbres
For Saint-Laurent-des-Arbres, the list includes:
• June 29, 2025,
• July 6, 13, 20 and 27, 2025,
• August 3, 10, 17, 24 and 31, 2025,
• as well as December 21 and 28, 2025.
These openings are mainly part of the summer dynamic, which attracts both locals and tourists, and in preparations for Christmas.
A balance between economic dynamism and social issues
These Sunday openings meet a dual objective: to boost local economic activity by increasing opportunities for consumers, while supporting merchants during key periods of the year. They offer additional flexibility to customers and allow businesses to maximize their revenues in an economic context marked by increased competition and fragile purchasing power.
A dynamic for the territory
With these decisions, Gard Rhodanien shows a desire to maintain its economic attractiveness, in particular for major commercial centers such as Bagnols-sur-Cèze, Pont-Saint-Esprit and Saint-Laurent-des-Arbres. These Sunday openings also help to strengthen local competitiveness compared to large neighboring commercial areas and to better capture tourist flows during the summer season.
