Stores in Quebec may soon stay open way later — but there's a catch

Shopping on a Sunday night in Quebec usually means you're out of luck. Most stores close at 5 p.m., leaving you with limited options if you need to pick something up. But that could be about to change.

The Quebec government announced on December 8 that it wants to let retailers across the province stay open until 9 p.m. every day of the week. It's a major shift for one of the only places in North America that still strictly regulates when stores can be open.

Samuel Poulin, Quebec's minister for the economy and small and medium-sized businesses, said the province plans to massively expand a pilot project that's currently running in just three cities. Under the proposal, non-food retailers throughout Quebec could open their doors from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m., Monday through Sunday, except on holidays. Participation would be voluntary.

"We need to get out of the way of entrepreneurs," Poulin said in a news release on Monday. "Quebec is the only place in North America to put barriers on store opening hours."

Right now, a pilot project launched in October allows stores in Gatineau, Laval, and Saint-Georges to stay open until 8 p.m. on weekends only. The new proposal would extend those hours even further and make them available statewide. The three initial pilot cities were chosen strategically. Gatineau sits next to Ontario, where stores face fewer restrictions. Laval has a strong urban retail scene. And Saint-Georges represents smaller, more remote regions.

The push comes as local businesses face mounting pressure from online retailers, which never close. Poulin argued that Quebec stores need more flexibility to compete. "With Shein and Temu, local businesses must have the necessary room to maneuver to be more in contact with their customers," he said. "This is one more freedom and a strong gesture in terms of deregulation."

But the change isn't a done deal. A draft regulation will be published for public consultation starting December 10. Stakeholders will have 45 days to comment before the government decides whether to move forward. Even then, it would still be a pilot project, with permanence depending on how well it works.

Food retailers like grocery stores and pharmacies won't be affected since they already operate under different rules. The same goes for certain businesses with existing exemptions.

Whether late-night shopping becomes the new normal across Quebec will depend on how the experiment plays out and whether people and businesses actually embrace it.