Christmas opening hours 2024: Tesco, Waitrose, Aldi, Lidl and Sainsbury’s reveal when they will open – and close
SHOPPERS can now plan their festive trips to Tesco, Waitrose, Aldi and Lidl after all the major retailers confirmed the days people will be able to visit their stores over Christmas.
Most shops and supermarkets will be closed for certain days in order to give staff some much-needed time off.
Almost all stores across the UK are shut on Christmas Day, but there are also a handful of retailers that won't open on Boxing Day either.
Meanwhile, Wetherspoons is set to open more than 600 pubs on Christmas Day, allowing punters to get together and mark the occasion.
You can follow our live blog below for all the latest updates ...
Welcome to The Sun’s Christmas opening hours 2024 live blog
Thousands of workers at major retail stores will take a well-deserved break this Christmas as more big brands announce closures.
Some high street favourites and supermarkets have confirmed they will pull down the shutters on Boxing Day so staff don’t miss out on family time.
We’ll be listing all the updates and news from stores across the UK in this blog so you can plan your festive shopping.
Christmas dinner costs that may surprise you
With 10 days to go it’s time to start getting the turkey in, plus all the trimmings, but how much will it cost you this year?
New research from reveals how much your Christmas dinner is set to cost you at the UK’s top supermarkets, from cheapest to most expensive, and some of the findings may surprise you.
The findings revealed that the upmarket supermarket, Waitrose, came out cheaper than Iceland and Sainsbury for a turkey with all the trimmings. A Waitrose Christmas dinner will cost you £40.32 while the Iceland equivalent will cost you £46.70 and Sainsbury’s will set you back £42.67.
Ole Hansen, from Saxo said: “Year-on-year food price inflation is currently at a moderate 2% according to the UN FAO’s Global Food Price index.”
Aldi just piped Asda to the top spot for the cheapest Christmas dinner, where a roast with all the trimmings will cost you £24.62 and just 14p more at Asda costing £24.86.
At the other end of the scale, Ocado claimed the most expensive place, where your dinner could cost you nearly £80 and £55 more than Aldi.
The Range and Wilko opening hours
The Range and Wilko are owned by CDS Stores which has announced it will close all branches at both brands on December 25 and 26.
Alex Simpkin, chief executive officer for CDS, said: “This year’s been another great one for the business.
“We’re grateful to all our incredible team for their dedication and hard work and believe everyone deserves a well-earned rest during the festive season.
“So, in appreciation, we’ll be closing our stores on Boxing Day to give our team the opportunity to enjoy a full two-day break with their families.”
The brands were also closed last year on Boxing Day.
Christmas dinner costs that may surprise you
With 10 days to go it’s time to start getting the turkey in, plus all the trimmings, but how much will it cost you this year?
New research from reveals how much your Christmas dinner is set to cost you at the UK’s top supermarkets, from cheapest to most expensive, and some of the findings may surprise you.
The findings revealed that the upmarket supermarket, Waitrose, came out cheaper than Iceland and Sainsbury for a turkey with all the trimmings. A Waitrose Christmas dinner will cost you £40.32 while the Iceland equivalent will cost you £46.70 and Sainsbury’s will set you back £42.67.
Ole Hansen, from Saxo said: “Year-on-year food price inflation is currently at a moderate 2% according to the UN FAO’s Global Food Price index.”
Aldi just piped Asda to the top spot for the cheapest Christmas dinner, where a roast with all the trimmings will cost you £24.62 and just 14p more at Asda costing £24.86.
At the other end of the scale, Ocado claimed the most expensive place, where your dinner could cost you nearly £80 and £55 more than Aldi.
Homebase opening hours over Christmas
DIY giant Homebase will shut all its stores on December 26, the brand confirmed to The Sun.
The retailer has 142 stores across the UK which will shut for a full 48 hours to give staff a festive rest.
A spokeswoman for the firm said: “We’ll once again be closing our stores on Boxing Day so our team can enjoy time with their friends and family over the festive period.”
More stores are expected to announce Boxing Day closures over the coming weeks.
You can follow us here for all the updates.
End of traditional Boxing Day sprees?
Almost all stores close up on Christmas Day but, traditionally, shoppers head out on Boxing Day to cash in on cut-price goods.
However, in recent years, more and more retailers have decided to stay closed on December 26, delaying customers’ shopping sprees by another day.
Boxing Day is a Bank Holiday which means opening hours are already reduced.
Some stores may also close early on Christmas Eve and other days around the festive period so it’s worth double checking opening times in advance to avoid a wasted trip out.
Wetherspoons reveals when 664 pubs will open on Christmas Day
Wetherspoons is set to open more than 600 pubs on Christmas Day, allowing punters to get together and mark the occasion.
The pub giant has revealed to The Sun the complete list 664 branches that will open on December 25.
You can see the full list in the story, below.
Why are more stores closing on Boxing day?
In recent years, more and more retailers have decided to stay closed on December 26, delaying customers’ shopping sprees by another day.
Boxing Day is a Bank Holiday which means opening hours are already reduced.
B&Q opening hours for Christmas
DIY and garden retailer B&Q has also confirmed it will close all stores on Boxing Day.
B&Q has revealed it will shutter its more than 300 UK branches on December 25 and 26 to give staff a well-earned break.
The retailer, which stocks everything from garden products to kitchenware, tools and equipment will also close all its stores early on Christmas Eve.
Branches across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland will shut at 4pm instead of the usual 8pm.
The vast majority of the DIY chain’s stores will also be operating reduced opening hours on New Year’s Day.
Its stores in Scotland and on the islands of Jersey and Guernsey meanwhile will be closed to customers on January 1.
John Lewis and Waitrose opening hours
The vast majority of Waitrose supermarkets and all standalone John Lewis stores will be shut on Christmas Day and Boxing Day.
The John Lewis Partnership (JLP) which runs the two brands exclusively told The Sun it will shut on December 26.
More than 300 Waitrose branches and 33 John Lewis sites will be shut with just a handful of Waitrose shops attached to petrol stations remaining open on Boxing Day.
And only John Lewis shops within the Trafford and Stratford shopping centres will remain open.
The brand also closed on Boxing Day last year.
The Range and Wilko opening hours
The Range and Wilko are owned by CDS Stores which has announced it will close all branches at both brands on December 25 and 26.
Alex Simpkin, chief executive officer for CDS, said: “This year’s been another great one for the business.
“We’re grateful to all our incredible team for their dedication and hard work and believe everyone deserves a well-earned rest during the festive season.
“So, in appreciation, we’ll be closing our stores on Boxing Day to give our team the opportunity to enjoy a full two-day break with their families.”
The brands were also closed last year on Boxing Day.
Waitrose dinner ‘cheaper than Iceland’, finds research
With 10 days to go it’s time to start getting the turkey in, plus all the trimmings, but how much will it cost you this year?
New research from reveals how much your Christmas dinner is set to cost you at the UK’s top supermarkets, from cheapest to most expensive, and some of the findings may surprise you.
The findings revealed that the upmarket supermarket, Waitrose, came out cheaper than Iceland and Sainsbury for a turkey with all the trimmings. A Waitrose Christmas dinner will cost you £40.32 while the Iceland equivalent will cost you £46.70 and Sainsbury’s will set you back £42.67.
Wickes to extend festive closing time
Wickes will be shutting up shop for an extended time across the festive period in a company first.
Wickes announced they will be pulling the shutters down on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day.
Staff will welcome customers back on December 27 after a well-deserved Christmas break.
Employees are also set to gain and additional day of paid leave on Christmas Eve.
Branches across England, Wales and Scotland will also lock up earlier at 7pm from December 16 to 21.
On New Year’s Eve doors will shut at 4pm.
Poundland, which currently runs over 850 shops in the UK, also closed on Boxing Day last year.
Keep checking your favourite retailer’s social media as many often publicise their festive opening hours on X and Facebook.
Aldi Christmas opening hours
The discounter has said it will close on Boxing Day, as well as Christmas Day.
Richard Thornton, communications director at Aldi UK, said: “Christmas is such a special period for many of our colleagues, and by keeping our stores closed on Boxing Day, Aldi gives them more time to spend with their loved ones.
“Customers will have plenty to look forward to in the run-up to Christmas, with exciting Christmas ranges hitting shelves in time for the festive season.”
It’s not the first time Aldi has closed on Boxing Day – the discounter has been doing so for the past few years.
Home Bargains to close on Boxing Day
Home Bargains has told The Sun all 600 of its stores across the UK will remain closed on Boxing Day.
All branches will also close earlier on Christmas Eve, with trading finishing at 5pm instead of the usual 8pm or 9pm.
The chain also confirmed shops will shut on New Year’s Day.
A spokesperson for Home Bargains said: “We know how hard all our colleagues have worked throughout the year.
“Being a family-run business, we recognise the importance of spending quality time with our loved ones.
“Therefore, we feel it is only right to support our valued store teams by giving them extended time off around Christmas and New Year.”
Home Bargains has remained closed on Boxing Day for the last four years.
Are all shops closing on Boxing Day?
It’s common practice for shops across the UK to close on Christmas Day, but not all retailers shut branches on Boxing Day.
Poundland has said it will shut all its branches on Christmas Day and Boxing Day this year.
Lidl rival Aldi is also closing all its branches over the same two-day period, as are Home Bargains, John Lewis and Waitrose.
Wickes will also shutter all its branches for three days this Christmas.
Some Co-op shops, however, are open on Boxing Day. Customers are advised to check with their local Co-op for the most up-to-date details.
Welcome to The Sun’s Christmas opening hours 2024 live blog
Thousands of workers at major retail stores will take a well-deserved break this Christmas as more big brands announce closures.
Some high street favourites and supermarkets have confirmed they will pull down the shutters on Boxing Day so staff don’t miss out on family time.
We’ll be listing all the updates and news from stores across the UK in this blog so you can plan your festive shopping.
Are all shops closing on Boxing Day?
It’s common practice for shops across the UK to close on Christmas Day, but not all retailers shut branches on Boxing Day.
Poundland has said it will shut all its branches on Christmas Day and Boxing Day this year.
Lidl rival Aldi is also closing all its branches over the same two-day period, as are Home Bargains, John Lewis and Waitrose.
Wickes will also shutter all its branches for three days this Christmas.
Some Co-op shops, however, are open on Boxing Day. Customers are advised to check with their local Co-op for the most up-to-date details.
Iceland announces Boxing Day closure
A major supermarket will be closing all except 76 of its stores on Boxing Day this year, in a move which might frustrate shoppers outside of London.
will close most of its more than 1,000 stores across the UK on both Christmas Day and Boxing Day, but has made the decision to keep a limited number open on the December 26.
Aldi Christmas opening hours
The discounter has said it will close on Boxing Day, as well as Christmas Day.
Richard Thornton, communications director at Aldi UK, said: “Christmas is such a special period for many of our colleagues, and by keeping our stores closed on Boxing Day, Aldi gives them more time to spend with their loved ones.
“Customers will have plenty to look forward to in the run-up to Christmas, with exciting Christmas ranges hitting shelves in time for the festive season.”
It’s not the first time Aldi has closed on Boxing Day – the discounter has been doing so for the past few years.
Lidl – with 960 shops – to close stores for three days over Christmas and New Year
Major discount supermarket Lidl is to shut the vast majority of its stores for three days over the festive period.
Lidl has revealed its Christmas opening hours and will close all branches on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.
Most of its stores will be closed on Boxing Day too, although shoppers are urged to check their local store’s opening hours.
You can do this by using the retailer’s branch locator tool on its website or via the Lidl Plus app.
Want to know more? You can read the full story in the link below.
Wetherspoons reveals when 664 pubs will open on Christmas Day
Wetherspoons is set to open more than 600 pubs on Christmas Day, allowing punters to get together and mark the occasion.
The pub giant has revealed to The Sun the complete list 664 branches that will open on December 25.
You can see the full list in the story, below.
Why are more stores closing on Boxing day?
In recent years, more and more retailers have decided to stay closed on December 26, delaying customers’ shopping sprees by another day.
Boxing Day is a Bank Holiday which means opening hours are already reduced.
Home Bargains to close on Boxing Day
Home Bargains has told The Sun all 600 of its stores across the UK will remain closed on Boxing Day.
All branches will also close earlier on Christmas Eve, with trading finishing at 5pm instead of the usual 8pm or 9pm.
The chain also confirmed shops will shut on New Year’s Day.
A spokesperson for Home Bargains said: “We know how hard all our colleagues have worked throughout the year.
“Being a family-run business, we recognise the importance of spending quality time with our loved ones.
“Therefore, we feel it is only right to support our valued store teams by giving them extended time off around Christmas and New Year.”
Home Bargains has remained closed on Boxing Day for the last four years.