Supermarkets to close at 4pm on Christmas Eve due to Sunday trading rules
SHOPPERS are being warned that supermarkets are set to close at 4pm on Christmas Eve due to Sunday trading rules.
It means that thousands of supermarket branches, including the majority of Morrisons, Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda, Aldi and Lidl stores will close up early on one of the busiest days of the year.
Sunday trading laws restrict large supermarkets – those over 280 square meters – in England and Wales to opening for a maximum of six hours on a Sunday.
Closing times may vary depending on the store but they will be restricted to following the rules.
The law does not apply to Scotland where there are no restrictions on trading hours.
It also doesn’t apply to smaller shops, meaning there are no rules on how long convenience and cornershops can open for, even on a Sunday.
A spokesperson from Tesco said that 1,700 of its Express stores would be open until 10pm.
While the Co-op confirmed that its 2,000 stores will be open until 9am and 124 branches in London will be open until 10pm.
To find out what time your chosen supermarket will be open until, check out handy guide.
Supermarkets are gearing up for the festive food shop ahead of December 25.
Today, Asda announced that it would be cutting the price of Christmas dinner veggies to just 20p per bag.
It comes after Tesco and Lidl said it would be cutting prices to 29p per bag.
Here's how to cut the cost of your grocery shop
WE spoke to Hannah Maundrell, editor of Money.co.uk, about how you can cut the cost of your shopping bills:
- Write yourself a list – Only buy items that you need. If it isn’t on your list, don’t put it in the trolley
- Create a budget – Work out a weekly budget for your food shopping
- Never shop hungry – you are far more likely to buy more food if your tummy is rumbling
- Don’t buy pre-chopped veggies or fruit – The extra they’ll charge for chopping can be eye watering
- Use social media – follow your favourite retailers to find out about the latest deals
- Be disloyal – You may want to go to different stores to find the best bargains
- Check the small print – It’s always worth checking the price per kg/lb/litre when comparing offers so you’re making a like for like decision as a bigger box won’t necessarily mean you get more
- Use your loyalty cards – Don’t be afraid to sign up to them all. They all work slightly differently – work out what bonus suits you better and remember to trade in your points for additional rewards
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