Jump directly to the content
Live Blog
FESTIVE SHOPPING

Christmas opening hours 2024 LIVE: Shoppers braced for last-minute chaos as more stores reveal when they will close

Exterior view of a Tesco supermarket in Szeged, Hungary.

SHOPPERS are braced for last-minute chaos as Christmas festivities begin.

As more retailers confirmed the days people will be able to visit their stores, customers can now plan their festive trips to Tesco, Waitrose, and Lidl.

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.

It is worth checking with your local store, however, as some will be open on Boxing Day on reduced hours.

You can follow our live blog below for all the latest updates ...

  • B&Q reduces opening hours on New Year's Day

    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 EnglandWalesScotland 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.

  • Poundland to shut its stores on Christmas

    Credit: Peter Jordan

    Bargain retailer has confirmed it will shut all its stores on Boxing Day to give staff a well-earned break.

    It will close shops on December 25 and 26.

    The discounter said all its locations will also shut on New Year's Day as a thank you to staff.

  • 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.

    Credit: PA
  • 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.

  • Did you know ...

  • Why shops close their doors

      are closing for both 25 and 26 December.

    Companies often want to reward staff who have to work particularly hard in the run-up to the , and footfall on Boxing Day can be low.

  • Which banks will close on Christmas Day?

    Christmas day, as well as New Year's Day, are bank holidays in the UK.

    Vast majority of banks will not open on Christmas Day and Boxing day. They will also remain closed on January 1.

    Santander will close at 3pm on Christmas Eve.

  • Petrol Stations that will remain open on Christmas

    Esso have confirmed that many of their petrol stations will remain open over Christmas.

    However, some of their in-store facilities, like food&drink services and toilets, will be affected by differing opening times.

    All of BP's M&S stores will remain open on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

    Most Shell-owned service stations will remain open over the festive period.

    However, several stations will be closing their doors so it's best to enquire before Christmas Day.

    Most of Asda's petrol stations have a pay-at-the-pump service, which means that drivers will be able to fill up at most Asda stations.

  • When is the best time to shop at Asda?

    Asda said the quietest times to visit its stores throughout the year were early in the morning or late at night, on weekdays.

    It did not say what the quietest times to visit branches were on Saturdays and Sundays.

    It also did not reveal the least busy days of the week to visit in the run up to Christmas.

  • No Deliveries on Christmas Day

    There will be no deliveries by Royal Mail on Christmas Day or Boxing day, so you will need to send your festive gifts before this date.

    The Post Office has announced that first-class Royal Mail deliveries will only arrive before December 25 if parcels and packages are posted before December 20.

    It added that Royal Mail Special Delivery orders can be posted as late as December 23.

    Post Office also confirmed that Evri orders need to be sent before December 20.

    As Royal Mail does not deliver on bank holidays, you will also not receive post on New Year's Day.

  • When is the best time to shop at Lidl?

    Lidl, like Waitrose, didn't say what specific days were the quietest to shop in its branches ahead of Christmas.

    But, it did reveal the best times of day to head down throughout the year to avoid any crowds.

    A spokesperson said customers who want to miss the midday rush should shop between 8am and 10am, or 6pm onwards.

    You can check your local Lidl branch's opening hours by using the retailer's store locator tool on its website.

  • Primark festive opening times

    Primark operates over 190 stores across the UK but opening hours vary from branch to branch.

    All of Primark's shops are closed on Christmas Day.

    You can get any last-minute shopping up until 5pm on Christmas Eve.

    Fear not, you won't have to wait long to shop in Primark, as stores are open on Boxing Day.

    On December 26, many shops will be open from 10.30am until 5pm.

  • When is the best time to go to Waitrose?

    Upmarket supermarket chain Waitrose didn't reveal the quietest days to shop in its more than 300 stores.

    However, it did share the least busy times of day across the week when shoppers can avoid the masses.

    The chain said its stores tend to be quietest just after opening and just before closing.

    Waitrose stores across the UK open and close at different times so you should check your local branch for its opening hours.

  • When is best time to shop at Aldi before Christmas?

    The UK's fourth largest supermarket said the best days to visit its stores to avoid crowds and queues are December 22, 23 or 24.

    On these days, it said branches will be least busy between 8pm and 10pm.

    You can find your nearest Aldi store by using the retailer's branch locator tool on its website.

    You just have to enter your town or postcode and it will bring up the closest shop to you.

  • The Range and Wilko opening hours

    The Range and Wilko are owned by CDS Stores which has announced it will shutter its 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.

  • 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 EnglandWales 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 an eye on your favourite retailer’s social media as many often publicise their festive opening hours on X and Facebook.

  • Home Bargains to close on Boxing Day

    Home Bargains has told The Sun all 600 of its stores across the UK will remain shut on Boxing Day.

    All branches will also close early on Christmas Eve, with trading finishing at 5pm instead of the customary 8pm or 9pm.

    The chain also confirmed shops will shut on New Year’s Day.

  • Co-op this Christmas

    Co-op will be operating reduced hours over the festive period, meaning you’ll have to act fast to purchase any Christmas Day items.

    Most of Co-op’s shops will open as normal on Christmas Eve before closing up shop on Christmas Day. They will re-open on Boxing Day (albeit with reduced hours) and will remain open into the New Year.

    The chain of supermarkets normally remains open for bank holidays, but makes an exception for Christmas Day.

  • 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.

    Credit: Getty
  • Time to flex?

    The Gym Group, Bannatyne’s, David Lloyd, Pure Gym, and Virgin Active will all be changing their opening hours over the festive period. Here’s a look at what to expect.

  • 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. 

  • Iceland announces Boxing Day closure

    The chain will only operate 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 December 26.

  • Why are more stores closing on Boxing day?

    In recent years, a number of 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

    B&Q has confirmed all its outlets will be closed on Boxing Day.

    B&Q has revealed it will pull down the shutters on 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 EnglandWalesScotland 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.

  • Did you know ...

Topics