Spätkauf

Spätkauf

Spätverkauf, Spätkauf or "Späti" (German pronunciation: [ʃpe:ti:]) is a type of convenience shop found generally in East German cities, such as Berlin, Dresden or Leipzig, which is known to operate late at night past the usual shopping hours, often 24 hours per day. Translating literally to 'late purchase', Spätis mostly sell alcohol and tobacco but may also sell groceries or everyday items. Some shops may also offer internet access, a postal service for retail, and usually feature small benches for clients to sit on while drinking beer. Due to the invention of mobile web, many internet cafés have since extended their range of products to function as a Späti. Most shops are run by migrant families of Turkish, Arabian, Vietnamese and otherwise Asian origin and are a part of the culture of Berlin's local neighbourhoods known as "Kiez". Similar kinds of shops with different regional names are found in the Ruhr area, the Rhineland, Hanover and Hamburg. The end of Sunday openings in 2016 caused a decline in the total number of Spätis. According to the organization "Berliner Späti e.V.", about 800 Spätis had to close down since then. There are said to have been around 2000 Spätis in 2012.

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