Shopping centers, as well as numerous retail chains, locked their doors yesterday, the first day of Eid al-Fitr, which means that most of the retail workers, on one of the rare occasions, had a day off during the biggest Muslim holiday.
In the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), there is almost no excessive difference between normal working days and those on which state and, until recently, religious holidays fall. Facilities that provide catering and retail services are working at full steam, which is why there are numerous controversies.
Nevertheless, it seems that some of the struggles have borne fruit, at least partially. Shopping centers in Sarajevo were not open yesterday.
Yesterday, Sarajevo City Center decided to give its employees a day off to spend with family and friends. As of today, April 22nd, they are returning to work with regular working hours from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
The situation is the same with the shopping centers Alta and Importanne – yesterday their doors were closed for visitors, while from today Alta will work according to the usual schedule already on April 22nd, from 9 am to 10 pm, and Importanne from 8 am to 11 pm.
What about retail chains?
The domestic retail chain Bingo announced on its official profile that yesterday, during the first day of Eid al-Fitr, more than 180 of its stores will not work. The exceptions are some stores in Mostar, Citluk, and Brcko, and those in the territory of the Republika Srpska (RS) and in the Posavina Canton.
The situation is similar with Mercator. Their stores, as well as the shopping center in Sarajevo, will not be open, while the exceptions are the facilities in Kiseljak, Mostar, and Capljina.
The struggle of retailers throughout BiH, who demand that national and religious holidays be non-working days for them, has been going on for years, and many are trying to appeal even to the awareness of citizens to show solidarity and show that going shopping during holidays is not a necessary event after all, Klix.ba reports.
