As the festive season approaches, the frantic rush for last-minute groceries becomes a reality for many. Forgetting a crucial ingredient for the Christmas dinner can turn celebration into panic, making it essential to know exactly when your local supermarket will be open.
With key dates like Christmas Day, Boxing Day, and New Year's Day all being bank holidays, standard opening hours are thrown out the window. To prevent any unwanted surprises, we've compiled the complete festive opening schedules for four of the UK's major supermarket chains: Lidl, Aldi, Sainsbury's, and Tesco.
Lidl and Aldi Festive Closures
Every single Lidl store across Great Britain will be shut on Christmas Day. The closures continue for many on Boxing Day, with most stores located outside the M25 and all stores in Wales remaining closed. Furthermore, all Lidl branches outside the M25 will not open on New Year's Day. The retailer strongly advises customers to verify the specific hours for their local store using the Lidl Plus app or their online store finder.
Aldi is implementing a similar shutdown for the main holidays. All Aldi stores will be closed on both Christmas Day and Boxing Day, reopening with their standard hours on December 27. Shoppers will also find Aldi doors closed on New Year's Day, with business resuming on Friday, January 2. In the busy days leading up to Christmas, Aldi has confirmed it will operate extended opening hours to help customers stock up.
Sainsbury's Detailed Holiday Schedule
Sainsbury's has released a detailed breakdown for its supermarkets and convenience stores. In the final run-up to Christmas, from December 18 to 23, most large supermarkets will be open from 6am until 11pm. On Christmas Eve, supermarkets will close earlier at 7pm, while convenience stores will stay open until 9pm.
All Sainsbury's stores, without exception, will be closed on Christmas Day. Boxing Day will see supermarkets open from 9am to 6pm and convenience stores from 9am to 9pm. For New Year's Eve, supermarket hours are 10am to 7pm, with convenience stores open from 6am to 9pm. On New Year's Day, supermarkets will operate from 8am to 8pm, and convenience stores from 9am to 9pm.
The company also noted that its petrol filling stations will generally open 30 minutes before and close 30 minutes after the main store, except on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve when they will open an hour later.
Tesco's Festive Opening Arrangements
Tesco has outlined separate plans for its larger stores and Express outlets. On Christmas Eve, Tesco Extra and Superstores will shut their doors at 7pm. All Express stores will be closed by 10pm, with some closing as early as 7pm.
Christmas Day will see a complete closure of all Tesco stores and petrol stations. On Boxing Day, the larger Extra and Superstores will be open from 9am to 6pm. The majority of Express stores will open from 9am to 7pm, though some larger Express branches may close at 6pm. Normal hours will resume for the period between Boxing Day and New Year's Eve.
For New Year's Eve, Tesco Extra and Superstores will again close at 7pm. Most Express stores will be open until 10pm, with some larger ones closing at 7pm. On New Year's Day, the larger stores will be open from 9am until 6pm, while most Express stores will operate from 8am until 10pm, subject to potential variations.
Planning your shopping around these confirmed schedules is the best way to ensure a stress-free and well-stocked festive period.
