Supermarkets Will Stop Opening on Sundays Starting on the 1st in Espírito Santo, Measure Defined in November 2025 Convention Affects 78 Municipalities and, According to Specialist and Acaps, Should Not Result in Price Increases
The supermarkets closed on Sundays in the Espírito Santo will take effect starting next Sunday, the 1st, based on a collective agreement signed in November 2025, also impacting construction material stores, with no projection of price increases, according to specialists and the sector.
Supermarkets Closed on Sundays in Espírito Santo Have No Direct Relation to Price Increases
The measure was received with support from the local population, but it also raised questions.
On social media, some claimed that the closure could raise prices on store shelves, concentrating purchases on fewer days of the week.
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To clarify the doubt, Flavia Rapozo, a doctor in Administration and Accounting Sciences and a member of the Brazilian Institute of Finance Executives, Ibef-ES, was consulted. According to her, initially, there is no relation between the closure and possible price increases.
Rapozo explained that the expectation of supermarket owners is that Sunday purchases will shift to Friday and Saturday. Thus, the total volume sold during the week tends to be maintained.
“What could cause costs to rise would be a drastic reduction in volume sold, should Sunday sales not migrate to another day. Even so, the market regulates prices, and it is unlikely that a significant transfer to prices would occur,” she stated.
Cost Structure and Competition in the Food Retail Sector
According to the specialist, the food retail sector operates in an environment with many competitors, which reduces the ability to raise prices, unlike more concentrated segments.
She highlighted that supermarkets have high fixed costs, which are diluted as the volume sold increases.
If there is a reduction in volume, the unit cost may rise, but the transfer to consumers would depend on market conditions.
The competition between establishments is also cited as a balancing factor. According to Rapozo, legal mechanisms such as the Consumer Protection Code and Procon can be invoked in cases of perceived abusive price increases.
The specialist also mentioned that reduced hours in markets are already a reality in European countries, such as Germany. According to her, no evidence of price increases was found as a result of these changes in hours.
Acaps States That Factors Such as Seasonality Influence Prices More
The president of the Capixaba Supermarket Association, Acaps, João Falqueto, agreed with the observations made. He stated that closure on Sundays is not a determining factor for price adjustments.
According to Falqueto, what really impacts prices are issues such as seasonality and off-seasons. He cited tomatoes as an example, which in some months increased from R$ 4 to R$ 9 per kilogram.
Milk is also expected to be affected in the coming months due to the dairy crisis in Brazil, particularly in Minas Gerais, Santa Catarina, and Goiás, states that supply the country.
According to him, these variations have no relation to the weekly closure. “It’s a volatile market, and competition is beneficial. If prices rise too much, consumers will say no and turn to other markets,” he declared.
He added that there is no chance of price increases occurring due to the closure on Sundays, but he recommended that consumers stay alert to avoid abusive prices.
History of the Measure and Expectation of Adaptation in the State
Falqueto recalled that the measure is not unprecedented in Espírito Santo. Between 2008 and 2017, for nine years, supermarkets also did not open on Sundays, without any recorded impact on prices.
As noted by the specialist, the expectation is that Sunday purchases will be absorbed on Friday, Saturday, and Monday, maintaining the weekly volume.
The impact should be more felt in Greater Vitória. In most of the state, markets already do not operate on Sundays. Out of the 78 municipalities, 69 do not open on that day.
In Fundão, for example, supermarkets do not open on Sundays. In the south, only Cachoeiro remains operational.
According to Falqueto, there will be no significant impact, and both consumers and the sector should adapt to the new weekly routine.
With information from Folhavitoria.

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