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
One in 10 Brits are fired or disciplined after their work’s Christmas party, new survey finds
Emily Sergeant
We’re in peak office Christmas party season right about now.
With just under two weeks to go until the big day itself is here, many businesses across the UK are treating their staff to night out to celebrate both the festive season and all of the hard work they have been putting in throughout the year… and as you can expect, these are usually quite eventful gatherings, shall we say.
But now, a survey by has shed light on just how ‘eventful’ they actually are, as a new survey has revealed that, apparently, one in ten Brits face some sort of disciplinary action or dismissal due to their behaviour at Christmas parties.
The study was conducted by After Drink, and included more than 2,000 participants.
During the research, it was highlighted that 89% of employees admitted to drinking alcohol at these events, Lad Bible reports – with 65% of these confessing that they drank “excessively”.
One in 10 Brits get fired or disciplined after their work’s Christmas party / Credit: Kraken Images | Mimi Thian (via Unsplash)
There are a multitude of incidents which could lead to disciplinary action in the workplace nowadays, but according to the survey, some of the common reasons following festive celebrations with colleagues included inappropriate comments (23%) and even getting into fights (21%).
16% of these incidents were because of drug use during the event, while inappropriate interactions with colleagues accounted for 14%.
Some of the legal reasons you can be fired from your place of work after a Christmas party include gross misconduct, drunken behaviour, and fighting of any kind.
Despite all these risks, however, Christmas parties still remain as popular as always, and a whopping 79% of respondents said they are planning to attend theirs this year.
Clearly, the moral of the story here is , enjoy yourself… but just not too much.
Featured Image – The OurWhiskey Company (via Pexels)
Trending
Half of Mancs don’t know how to cook Christmas dinner, new survey reveals
Emily Sergeant
Christmas dinner is one of the key parts of any festive celebration.
No matter whether you choose to tuck into a traditional roast with all the trimmings and lashings of gravy, or you prefer to go for something a little different like a curry or a Chinese instead, your Christmas dinner is a chance to gather round with your loved ones and enjoy one of the heartiest meals you’ll likely have all year.
However, some shocking new figures have revealed that half of Manchester residents have no clue how to even cook a Christmas dinner.
Through a major study by the UK’s leading electrical retailer, AO.com, it was revealed that the majority of our city’s residents are “losing confidence” in preparing even the simplest of British dishes – with a traditional roast or Christmas dinner being one of them.
A new survey has revealed that half of Mancs don’t know how to cook Christmas dinner / Credit: Freepik | GoodFon
As part of its new campaign to get Brits back into the kitchen, AO found that just 57% of respondents reckon they would be able to make a roast dinner, 52% could whip up a classic shepherd’s pie, 58% could cook bangers and mash, merely 61% could prepare a full English breakfast, and again, only 57% could tackle fish and chips.
Classic desserts are clearly a struggle for us Mancs too, according to the survey, as only 19% of respondents said they’d feel confident cooking a Christmas pudding.
The survey also found that nationwide, it was Gen Z – those between the age of 16 and 27 – that are the least confident in their ability to cook great British classics, while on the other end of the spectrum, Baby Boomers are the most capable, proving that culinary confidence increases with age.
Our region’s residents are apparently ‘losing confidence’ at cooking simple British classics / Credit: Freepik
Commenting on the results, Jay Lockton, oven expert at AO.com, said: “Kitchens should be a place of creativity and joy, but our data shows that a lot of people in Manchester are losing confidence in preparing even the simplest of British dishes.
“Based on our findings, many younger people may be opting for convenience foods or takeaways due to their busy schedules and the perception that cooking from scratch is time-consuming or difficult.
Emily Sergeant -
23rd December 2021 
