Dinners, shopping, sleeping: find out why Europeans advance their schedules

From Paris to Warsaw, Europeans are bringing forward the times of their meals, their shopping and even their outings. Could this be the effect of a return to a healthier life or simply teleworking?

Dinner is earlier!

Before the pandemic, Parisians were used to dining late. But today, the capital’s restaurateurs are offering two services, the first at 7:30 p.m. and the second at 9:30 p.m. Is the latter still as popular? Ten minutes earlier, this is the observation drawn from a Mastercard Economics Institute report. Indeed, Europeans bring forward their meal times, even in the countries most fond of late dinners.

In Italy, for example, where we usually went out around 9:18 p.m. in 2019, we now take our place at the table at 9:05 p.m. In France, the trend is similar: people arrive at the restaurant at 8:55 p.m., compared to 9:06 p.m. previously. And Austria holds the record for the change, with a jump of twenty minutes earlier, with dinners now taking place there around 8:06 p.m.

Changes that affect the whole week

But it is not only at the table that habits have changed. We also observe a reorganization of the week. While food shopping was traditionally reserved for Saturdays, the chore is done more and more often during the week. In Germany, for example, you now fill your shopping cart on Tuesday or Wednesday, just like you treat yourself to a haircut or a sports session in the middle of the week.

An impact on health and well-being

Why such upheaval? Several reasons are put forward. Teleworking has undoubtedly played a role, by offering more flexibility. But that’s not all. The Mastercard report also highlights awareness regarding health: “Europeans go to bed earlier, sleep longer and more efficiently now than in 2019“. A desire for well-being, inherited from confinements, which continues to influence our daily lives.