Boxing Day is one of the busiest days in the UK shopping calendar.
But as the years have gone on, especially in light of the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and all of the extra, unprecedented challenges it has brought to the retail industry and the people who work in it, many retailers have started to see the value in giving staff the day off to rest, recover, and most importantly, spend that extra bit of time with their loved ones.
Every year, more and more businesses appear to be making the decision to keep shops shut on the annual post-Christmas Bank Holiday.
In 2021, a handful of shops and supermarkets have already announced they’ll be closing doors.
Here’s everything we know so far.
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Supermarkets
Most supermarket chains across the UK have published their adjusted operating hours over the festive period, with many choosing to keep doors closed on Boxing Day.
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Here’s the list of supermarkets closing:
Aldi
Sainsbury’s
M&S
Lidl
Co-op
Waitrose
Tesco has plans to keep over 370 of its large stores open for 24 hours a day during the festive period in the run-up to the big day, and although Asda stores across Greater Manchester will be closing on Christmas Day, they will be opening on Boxing Day from 10am – 4pm.
You can find more information about supermarket opening hours in Greater Manchester here.
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Other Retailers
Home Bargains
Home Bargains has announced that it will be closing all of its stores across the UK on Boxing Day to give staff time to “recover”.
“We recognise how incredibly hard all of our colleagues have worked over the last year, to continue to serve the local communities that rely on them so much,” a spokesperson for Home Bargains explained of the decision to close.
“In light of this, we felt it was only right to reward store teams by taking the decision to close all of our stores on Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.
“And also close stores early at 5pm on Christmas Eve.”
All Argos stores will also be closed this Boxing Day.
The stores will remain closed “in recognition of the extraordinary efforts of colleagues throughout a challenging 18 months, since the start of the pandemic.”
Simon Roberts, Chief Executive of Sainsbury’s – which owns Argos – said: “Christmas is a really special time for so many, but because of lockdown restrictions last year, lots of us weren’t able to celebrate in the way we wanted.
“In recognition of this and to say a massive thank you to all our colleagues for everything they have done during the last challenging year, we will be closing this Boxing Day.”
Here’s just some of the other national names closing on Boxing Day:
The Entertainer
Poundland
Wilko
Habitat
Pets at Home
Holland and Barrett
Featured Image – Aldi UK & Ireland | Wilko
Trending
Salford City manager delivers X-rated, fiery and inspiring speech in new behind-the-scenes series
Danny Jones
Salford City FC manager Karl Robinson delivered an extremely passionate and X-rated dressing room speech to his players in a recent clip taken from the club’s new behind-the-scenes series.
The Salford City boss has divided opinion among the supporters during his time in charge at the Peninsula Stadium, but it’s fair to say this no-holds-barred clip will have at least won over a few.
Robinson has been the head coach of The Ammies since January 2024 and missed out on playoff places by just a single point last term, but the Greater Manchester side has made a strong start to the new League Two campaign.
Claiming 16 points from their first eight fixtures, with only Swindon Town and Gillingham having notched more thus far, it seems a fire has been lit under his squad. It would certainly seem to be the case – at least judging by this new footage, anyway…
Looks really good so far lads absolutely love this
What you see above is a snippet from just the second episode of SCFC’s new ‘This Is Salford’ online show, which debuted this season and lifts the lid on City, Robinson, co-owner Gary Neville (who has helped produce the digital series) and more.
Although it’s not quite on the scale of the famous Class of ’92: Out of Their League programme and Full Time spin-off special aired on television over the past decade, the recurring YouTube documentary will chronicle matchdays and much more.
The club have also explained that the digital-only show will also be split into two sub-sections; one is the kind of matchday coverage already shared, with the promise that it will always be released within “36 hours of the final whistle”.
Secondly, there will be This Is Salford: ‘Our Story‘ episodes, which they describe as sharing “a deeper level of storytelling, following players, coaches and club staff on everything from transfers to causes they’re passionate about.” Think Welcome to Wrexham, perhaps.
It just so happens the latest instalment caught the 45-year-old’s fuming rant following comments made by a player on the way back into the dugout.
While some fans have responded by commenting, “I’m pretty sure they didn’t want this kind of changing room” – citing past straight-talking managers who went on to be dismissed – the reception has been largely positive, with another replying: “I love the way Robbo commands the dressing room.”
Speaking via club media this week, Neville teased the series as going further in the amount they intend to reveal compared to the likes of Manchester City’s All Or Nothing or Together: Treble Winners docuseries, for instance.
Admittedly, not everyone has been convinced by the reaction from Robinson captured during their away trip to Notts County back on 9 August, going on to win the game 2-1.
One person accused him of ‘blagging’ and possibly playing up his anger towards the camera, while others have already seen it as evidence backing up why they have performed well thus far. Either way, they were victorious on the night and are currently third in the table.
Neville reiterated that “We need to get this out there as it happens. It needs to be in real time. It’s their Salford, it’s the fans’ Salford, and we want to show it.”
You can watch the episode in full and see what exactly sparked the fiery speech by Karl Robinson on the Salford City YouTube channel down below.
Featured Images — Salford City FC (screenshots via YouTube)
Trending
Didsbury favourite Rustik has confirmed its will sadly be closing this month
Danny Jones
West Didsbury favourite Rustik has sadly announced it will be closing for food after a decade at the end of this month.
The beloved Burton cafe and bar has been a staple of the tight-knit foodie neighbourhood since 2015, but now the independent Irish eatery has confirmed that the business will be shutting down permanently in less than a fortnight.
Confirmed on Wednesday afternoon, 17 September, the casual Manc restaurant and hangout informed their loyal followers of the unfortunate news.
Unsurprisingly, their social media has been awash with condolences, collective sadness and support for the local institution.
Posting across all of their accounts, Rustik wrote: “After an unforgettable 10 years on Burton Road, the time has come to close our doors. It’s hard to believe how far we’ve come — never in a million years did we imagine Rustik would grow into what it became.
“From the bottom of our hearts, thank you to every single one of you who walked through our doors and supported us along the way. We poured everything we had — our time, our energy, our lives into making Rustik a space for everyone. And what a ride it’s been.
“From the chaotic, beautiful brunch shifts to late nights dancing on tables to ‘Wagon Wheel’, pushing through the challenges of COVID and helping our community with meals during hard times— we’ve done it all, together.
“To our amazing staff, past and present: thank you for your hard work, your dedication, and the love you brought every single day. You helped build something truly special, and we’ll never be able to thank you enough.
“To the incredible musicians who filled our space with life — keep doing what you do. The noise complaints? 100% worth the unforgettable nights.”
The team go on to detail that the official closing date is Tuesday, 30 September, reiterating that it is “business running as usual until then” and urging fans to “come down, grab your last Rustik fix, and raise a glass with us one final time.”
Signing off with an emotional farewell, they add: “Lastly, a message close to our hearts: please support your local cafes, bars, and independents. Hospitality is tough right now, and they need your support more than ever.
“Thank you for the most incredible decade of our lives. It’s over and out from us.”
It goes without saying that we’re gutted to see Rustik go and know how much it meant not only to the Burton Road community, but also to the Didsbury community, Chorlton and many other Greater Manchester natives.
Emily Sergeant -
23rd December 2021 
