Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Aldi, and Lidl are among the supermarkets to adjust opening hours at stores across the UK during the festive period.
As Christmas is fast approaching, most of us will have already started to stock up on food and drink for the big day ahead of time, but with so much to prepare for, it’s pretty easy to forget something important – which tends to leave us running to the shops before 25th.
While some have probably opted for home deliveries or Click & Collect services, others still prefer to shop in store.
To help you make sure everything is sorted, we’ve pulled together a list of all the major supermarket opening hours over the festive period, so grab your bags for life and get your shopping list at the ready, because Santa is on his way and he’ll be expecting his annual dose of mince pies.
Here’s a roundup list of supermarket opening hours.
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Tesco
Shoppers are being advised to check the Tesco Store Locator for the festive opening times at their local store, as different branches are operating different hours, however, most stores are operating reduced hours on Christmas Eve, Boxing Day, New Year’s Eve, and New Year’s Day, as well as being closed all day on Christmas Day.
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Here’s a rough guideline:
Christmas Eve: 10am / 11am – 4pm
Christmas Day: CLOSED
Boxing Day: 9am – 6pm
New Year’s Eve: 10am / 11am – 5pm
New Year’s Day: 9am – 6pm
Check the opening times for your local Tesco store here.
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Sainsbury’s
Just like Tesco, Sainsbury’s hasn’t released standard operational hours over this Christmas period, so shoppers are encouraged to head to the retailer’s Store Locator to find out the opening times for the nearest branch.
What we do know is that most stores will be open on Christmas Eve and Boxing Day, with hours varying from store to store, but all branches will be closed on Christmas Day.
You can check the opening times for your local Sainsbury’s store here.
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ASDA
Following along the same lines as Tesco and Sainsbury’s, ASDA shoppers are being advised to check the Asda Store Locator for the festive opening times at their local store, as different branches are operating different hours, however, most stores are operating reduced hours on Christmas Eve, Boxing Day, New Year’s Eve, and New Year’s Day, as well as being closed all day on Christmas Day.
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Here’s a rough guideline:
Christmas Eve: 11am – 5pm
Christmas Day: CLOSED
Boxing Day: 9am – 6pm
New Year’s Eve: 11am – 5pm
New Year’s Day: 9am – 6pm
Check the opening times for your local ASDA store here.
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Morrisons
19-23 December: 6am – midnight
Christmas Eve: 10am – 4pm
Christmas Da: CLOSED
Boxing Day: 9am – 6pm
27-30 December: 7am – 10pm
New Year’s Eve: 10am – 4pm
New Year’s Day: 9am – 6pm
Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Aldi, and more have adjusted their opening hours for the festive period / Credit: Tesco
Aldi
19-23 December: 7am – 10pm
Christmas Eve: 9:30am – 4pm
Christmas Day & Boxing Day: CLOSED
27-30 December: 8am – 8pm
New Year’s Eve: 9:30am – 4pm
New Year’s Day: CLOSED
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Lidl
Lidl’s opening hours vary from store to store over the festive period.
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The discount retailer has, however, confirmed it will be closed on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day, with many of its stores shut for Boxing Day too, but with times differing on the other days around this, customers are encouraged to check the Lidl Store Finder for their local branch.
Check the opening times for your local Lidl store here.
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Co-op
Just like many other retailers on this list, Co-op’s opening times vary from store to store over the festive period, but the retailer has confirmed it will be operating reduced hours on Christmas Eve, Boxing Day, New Year’s Eve, and New Year’s Day – with all branches closed on Christmas Day across the UK as a standard.
Shoppers are being urged to check the Co-op Store Finder for the opening hours for their nearest branch here.
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M&S
Once again, M&S is another retailer where festive opening hours differ from store to store, so it’s best to check your local branch specifically – but what we do know is that all stores across the UK will be closed on Christmas Day and Boxing Day as a standard.
Here’s a guideline:
19-22 December: 6am – 10pm
23 December: Open until 10pm (select stores)
Christmas Eve: Open until 4pm (select stores)
Christmas Day and Boxing Day: CLOSED
Check the opening times for your local M&S store here.
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Featured Image – Morrisons
Shopping
River Island reopens Manchester Arndale store – and it’s unrecognisable
Daisy Jackson
River Island in the Manchester Arndale shopping centre is ready to reopen after a major makeover, and it’s bigger than ever.
The stunning space now spans 13,947 square feet and comes with interactive fitting rooms where you can order extra sizes on an iPad, self-checkouts, and a limited-edition collection exclusive to the Arndale.
The huge shop’s refurb follows a similar move at their Trafford Centre store, where River Island moved into the former Topshop unit.
Now, the three-storey store in the heart of the Arndale has been given a lick of duck-egg blue, and transformed into a beachy paradise.
Officially throwing its doors open this morning, Thursday 25 April, with Lucy Mecklenburgh cutting the ribbon, the huge shop is already welcoming hordes of shoppers.
Over the weekend, you’ll spot plenty of activations to celebrate River Island’s relaunch.
There are people carrying gigantic shopping bags handing out scratch cards with different discounts on, a Spin the Wheel with prizes, free coffees, a pop-up flower cart and loads more.
And the first people to spend more than £55 on each day between 25 and 28 April will receive a limited-edition tote bag.
High-tech changing rooms at the new River Island in the Manchester ArndaleAccessories in River Island’s new Manchester Arndale storeThe kids’ clothing collection in River IslandAccessories in River Island’s new Manchester Arndale store
This new River Island store has a limited-edition collection of one-off, premium pieces featuring exclusive fabrics and luxury detailing.
The 19-piece, bohemian-inspired collection starts at £45 and will only be available in the Arndale store.
Inside you’ll find all the usual River Island goodies, including a huge amount of holiday shop items, plus denim, occasion-wear, shoes, handbags, and kids’ clothing.
The new River Island store will open on 25 April in The Arndale shopping centre in Manchester.
Sephora confirms opening date for new megastore at Manchester’s Trafford Centre
Daisy Jackson
Beauty fans rejoice – Sephora has finally announced plans to open a store in Manchester, and soon.
The world-famous retailer, which stops luxury skincare and makeup brands as well as cult items, has secured a spot in the Trafford Centre.
This will be the third UK store for Sephora, which currently has two shops down in London, and its first trip up north.
And after a fair bit of teasing and plenty of rumours, they’ve confirmed that their next megastore will be right here in Greater Manchester.
Hoardings have appeared inside the Trafford Centre, plastered in Sephora’s black and white branding, around a unit next to AllSaints.
The signs read: “Manchester, you called it. Our first Northern store in 2024.”
Sephora says it will ‘redefine the beauty landscape in the North with an extraordinary product range that caters to the diverse needs of beauty enthusiasts’.
Cult brands stocked at Sephora include Huda Beauty, Charlotte Tilbury, The Ordinary, Glossier and Makeup by Mario.
Sephora wrote on Instagram: “You heard correctly — Sephora is coming to the TRAFFORD CENTRE, MANCHESTER.
“Get your shopping baskets ready as we’re on our way up north! More to be revealed soon, see you in 2024…”
The Trafford Centre shared: “You asked, we listened! The wait is over….your @sephorauk opens late Spring 2024.”
Sarah Boyd, managing director of Sephora UK, said: “We are extremely excited to bring Sephora to Manchester, one of the most vibrant cities for beauty in the UK.
“Expanding our presence beyond London is something that consumers have been screaming out for, and we are listening hard to them when deciding where to go next.
“The Trafford Centre, known for its iconic atmosphere and diverse retail offering, is the perfect location for our third store.”
Russell Loveland, managing director at Pradera Lateral – Trafford Centre’s Asset Managers, said: “This iconic beauty giant already has a cult following, and our own social media has been blowing up with enquiries from excited customers eager for Sephora to open.
“We are very proud Sephora chose the Trafford Centre for its next location, which will be its first store in the North of England, and know it will be a fantastic success and a great addition to our strong international brand lineup.”
One person commented on Sephora’s Instagram post: “This is the best news I’ve heard all year!”
Another said: “OMG ITS HAPPENING, STAY CALM”
And someone wrote on Trafford Centre’s post: “Omg omg can’t wait.”
Emily Sergeant -
18th December 2023 
