Aldi will be closing doors to all its UK stores on Boxing Day this year so staff get to “spend more time with their families”.
After what has been yet another jam-packed year for the retail industry, and with the run-up to Christmas known to be one of the busiest periods of them all, many workers have been left feeling like they could do with a little extra time off.
And this is why Aldi has announced it will be shutting up shop on a major festive bank holiday this year.
The popular supermarket retailer – which currently has over 1,000 stores across the UK, and employs around 36,000 people – has confirmed that it will close all of its stores on Boxing Day, just as it has done in several years prior – with the company saying it’s to once again say thank you to its tens of thousands of employees “for all their hard work”.
Aldi is closing all UK stores on Boxing Day this year / Credit: Aldi
Britain’s fourth-largest supermarket will close on both Christmas Day and Boxing Day this year, before reopening as usual on Wednesday 27 December, so shoppers can pick up all the essentials they may need before New Year’s Day.
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As well as the planned bank holiday closures, Aldi is also reminding customers that its opening hours will vary in the run-up to Christmas too – with the supermarket operating extended hours so that everyone has the chance to stock-up on festive food, drink, and more ahead of the big day.
“We recognise that Christmas is an important time for many of our colleagues, and keeping our stores closed on Boxing Day gives them more time to spend with their families,” explained Richard Thornton, the Communications Director at Aldi UK.
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“Customers will have plenty to look forward to in the run-up to Christmas, with more of Aldi’s brand-new Christmas ranges arriving in stores over the next few weeks.”
The retailer has made the decision so staff can “spend more time with their families” / Credit: Aldi
Aldi’s confirmation that all UK stores will be shut on the Boxing Day bank holiday follows in the footsteps of fellow discount retailer Home Bargains, which was one of the first companies to announce back in mid-September that it’ll be closing all its stores across the UK on both Boxing Day and New Year’s Day to make sure staff get a “well deserved break”.
Several other retailers will also be closing doors on selected dates over the festive period for similar reasons cited by Aldi and Home Bargains.
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The news that Aldi is closing this Boxing Day also comes after the company launched a massive festive recruitment drive, with the hopes of welcoming 3,000 new staff members, both temporary and permanent, to its teams at stores right across the UK ready for the busy Christmas period.
Some of the roles available include Store Assistants – with starting pay for this being an industry-leading £11.40 per hour nationally – managerial positions, cleaners, and more.
Manchester Storm’s ‘own and loan’ scheme returns for 2026/27
Danny Jones
Manchester Storm have relaunched their much-loved ‘own and loan’ programme once again ahead of the 2026/27 season.
Having gone from a cult favourite option for die-hards to an increasingly popular choice among their growing number of supporters, it’s a great way for fans to get their hands on what could go on to be priceless collectables.
Set up over a decade and a half ago, the initiative has gone on to be replicated by multiple clubs in the Elite Ice Hockey League, across the country, and indeed beyond.
For anyone unclear on what exactly this scheme means for them, here’s all you need to know.
The own and loan sponsorship is essentially an opportunity not only to support the club and your favourite player, but to essentially reserve a valuable piece of match-worn memorabilia.
Put simply, fans can buy a squad member’s jersey and then loan it back to them for the season.
The shirt – be it home, away, created for cup tournaments or a special limited-edition sweater (of which MCR Storm have designed many over the years) – will then be worn throughout the course of the campaign before being given back to the owner, i.e. you.
Not just simply buying the shirt, but helping back the team’s talent, it’s one of the most direct ways people can contribute to the club.
The Greater Manchester side pioneered the push for this initiative here in the UK in the early 2010s, and with the local side now set to return to the AO Arena, where their journey began way back in 1995, you can expect plenty to mark the comeback with a special sponsored jersey.
Anyone who purchases an away strip will have their name featured throughout home games for the duration of the season – not a bad gift or way to secure a potential future collectors’ item.
You can see every player available to sponsor and find out all the information you need right HERE.
For regular matchgoers at the ‘Storm Shelter’, we’re sure it’ll be bittersweet to say goodbye to Planet Ice Altrincham, but just how excited are you about heading home to the AO Arena later this year?
Emily Sergeant -
7th November 2023 
