Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Aldi and Lidl are among the supermarket retailers to release adjusted operating hours at stores across the UK over the festive period.
As Christmas is fast approaching, many 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 usually leaves us running to the shops before 25th.
Despite many having opted for home deliveries or Click & Collect services this year, others still prefer to shop in-store.
And while some of big name chains are still yet to release statements – expected to do so in due course – a number of leading supermarket retailers have already begun releasing Christmas opening hours.
Here’s everything we know so far.
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Tesco
Tesco announced recently that a number of its stores across the UK will be open for extended hours a day in the lead-up to Christmas, with 300 branches set to open 24 hours a day – except for Sundays – from 14th December – 24th December.
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The rest of Tesco’s stores will also operate at extended trading hours from 5am – 11pm between those dates.
Although specific opening times have not yet been announced for Christmas Day this year, if previous years are to provide a reflection, stores will close on 25th December, and reopen on Boxing Day.
You can check opening times via the Tesco Store Locator here.
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Sainsbury’s
Sainsbury’s has also revealed that it will be introducing extended opening hours at its branches nationwide this Christmas, with most supermarkets set to be open from 6am until midnight on 21st, 22nd & 23rdDecember.
On top of this, the chain says that most of its shops will be open from 6am – 7pm on Christmas Eve too.
All Sainsbury’s stores will close on Christmas Day.
A message on Sainsbury’s website says: “Between 21st to 23rd December, 90% of Sainsbury’s supermarkets will extend their opening hours from 6am until midnight, to help customers buy everything they need for their Christmas celebrations this year.”
You can check opening times via the Sainsbury’s Store Locator here.
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Aldi
Aldi has published its operating hours at stores across the UK for the festive period in the run-up to the big day, which are as follows:
Saturday 19th December:7am – 11pm
Sunday 20th December:10am – 4pm
21st, 22nd & 23rd December:7am – 11pm
Christmas Eve:7am – 6pm
Christmas Day & Boxing Day:STORES CLOSED
Sunday 27th December:10am – 4pm
28th, 29th & 30th December:8am – 8pm
New Year’s Eve:8am – 6pm
New Year’s Day:STORES CLOSED
Saturday 2nd January 2021:Normal Hours Resume
You can find more information on your local branch via the Aldi Store Finder here.
Lidl
Lidl has also published a full list of operating hours at stores across the UK for the festive period, which are as follows:
Saturday 19th December:7am – 11pm
Sunday 20th December:Open as Normal
21st, 22nd, 23rd December:7am – 11pm
Christmas Eve:7am – 6pm
Christmas Day & Boxing Day: STORES CLOSED
27th, 28th, 29th & 30th December:Open as Normal
New Year’s Eve:8am – 6pm
New Year’s Day:STORES CLOSED
Saturday 2nd January 2021:Normal Hours Resume
You can find more information on your local branch via the Lidl Store Finder here.
Asda, Morrisons, M&S, Co-op & Iceland
For each of the above and remaining food retailers, a national schedule of Christmas opening hours is yet to be released and so it’s currently advised that you check the opening times of your local branch individually before making any trips to stores over the festive period.
Want to order your festive food to be delivered to your home, or take advantage of Click & Collect services this month instead?
You can find the final order dates before Christmas for each supermarket retailer here.
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Former Manchester United star Patrice Evra is set to make his MMA debut very soon
Danny Jones
In another somewhat left-field turn of events in the sporting world, ex-Manchester United star Patrice Evra is set to swap his boots for gloves as he prepares to make his MMA debut.
The retired Man United player and French international ended his playing days back in 2019 after a short one-year spell at West Ham, and has mostly worked as a pundit in recent years.
Evra, 43, stunned his millions of followers online and even more football and fight fans alike by announcing he would be trying his hand at combat sports earlier this week.
Hopping on social media to confirm the news, it’s fair to say he’s already relishing the challenge.
The former left-back made 379 appearances for the Red Devils, winning 14 trophies, but this will be his first in the European division of the Professional Fighters League (PFL), the second-biggest promotion in MMA after the UFC.
As far as we know, Evra has little to no background in fighting of any discipline, even if he was used to the more physical side of the game as a defender.
Writing via X on Friday, 25 April, the 2008 Champions League and ’09 Club World Cup winner, said: “I’m officially training for my first fight with PFL Europe. They will pick my opponent… They asked who I wanna face. I said: Luis Suárez.
“I’ll pay out of pocket. He can even bite me.”
Suárez, still playing at 38, was not only found guilty of at least three instances of biting other players but was famously charged with racially abusing Patrice Evra back in 2011, with the two sharing a strong feud ever since.
Now, since the Uruguayan striker is still playing professional football over in the MLS, alongside the one and only Lionel Messi at Inter Miami, we wouldn’t hold our breaths.
Nevertheless, it seems as though he will be fighting someone once an opponent is selected in the coming days and weeks.
Evra has been training with Cameroonian-French mixed martial artist and friend, Cédric Doumbé, a former kickboxing specialist and now an established fighter in the welterweight class.
Joking aside, although there are a lot of controversial moves that are legal in MMA, biting isn’t one of them – not that it ever stopped the former Liverpool forward in the past.
Speaking in an official press conference, Evra said: “I’ve performed on the world’s biggest stages, won every major trophy in football, but PFL Europe Paris will be an incredibly special night for me.
“I’ve been training alongside the best in the world for years, and they’ll also tell you I’m ready for this. I’m going to put on a show at the Accor Arena on 23 May, so come watch the spectacle.”
As out of the blue as it may seem, he obviously isn’t the only former athlete to have swapped one sport for another after calling time in their first career.
In fact, he’s not even the first United player to change lanes.
Mix-up leaves tourists bound for Peak District on a day trip to… Rochdale
Daisy Jackson
Who needs rolling hills and country pubs when you could have *checks notes* roadworks and charity shops?
Well, that’s the situation two people ended up in recently after a mix-up rerouted their trip to the Peak District to Rochdale, of all places.
Thankfully seeing the funny side, Canadian TikTok creator Mackenzie shared a video of the day trip they got stuck with.
The pair of mates had been planning a trip to the honeypot town of Castleton in the Peak District, but accidentally ended up heading over to Castleton in Rochdale instead.
In the light-hearted clip, she says: “This is just a reminder to read the small print when you want to do a spontaneous trip. Because Margarita and I thought we were going to the Peaks, and this is where we are…” while panning to the sight of some roadworks.
She continued: “We thought we were going to see gorgeous green hills. Nope.
“Anyways, come with us on our Castleton Manchester, not Peak District adventure.”
They visited Springfield Park, went to a pub to eat onion rings (with a random giant dog staring at them), erm… went to a charity shop, and looked at some houses.
Okay so not quite the Peak District paradise they were picturing.
One person commented: “Absolutely howling. Come all the way from America to end up in Rochdale” (Mackenzie stressed in her reply that she lives in Manchester and also, is Canadian).
Another said: “It’s the Springfield park for me”
Someone else suggested: “Rochdale should rename all of its areas to encourage more tourists. Hahah”
Dying to know if these girls ever made it to Castleton, Derbyshire.
The Manc -
8th December 2020 
