Also on Bank Holidays UK: Bank Holiday Mondays — Full List 2026 · Supermarket Opening Hours on Bank Holidays · Tesco Bank Holiday Opening Times
Most UK shops open on bank holidays, on shorter hours. Only two days in the year force large stores to close, and the rules that do it apply in England and Wales but not in Scotland.
Which days actually change anything
This is the part most guides get wrong by lumping every holiday together. Legally, the bank holidays fall into three groups:
| Day | Legal position in England & Wales | What shops do in practice |
|---|---|---|
| Early May, spring and summer bank holidays | Ordinary trading day — no restriction | Reduced hours by choice, typically 8am–8pm at large stores |
| Good Friday | Ordinary trading day | Most shops open normally |
| Easter Sunday | Large shops must close (Sunday Trading Act 1994) | Superstores shut; convenience stores open |
| Christmas Day | Large shops must close (Christmas Day (Trading) Act 2004) | Effectively everything shut except forecourts |
| Boxing Day | Ordinary trading day | Several chains now choose to close; others open 9am–6pm |
| New Year’s Day | Ordinary trading day | Late start, typically 10am or 11am |
Easter Sunday is the recurring trap: it is not a bank holiday, but it is the one Sunday of the year when a large shop cannot open at all in England and Wales.
The 280 square metre rule
Both Acts hang on floor area. A shop with a relevant floor area over 280 square metres (about 3,000 sq ft) is a “large shop”: six hours’ trading maximum on a Sunday, closed on Easter Sunday, closed on Christmas Day. Anything smaller is unrestricted and can, in principle, trade every day of the year.
That single threshold explains why a Tesco Express opens on Christmas Day while the Tesco Extra down the road does not, and why petrol forecourt shops are the most reliable place to buy anything at all on a restricted day.
Typical bank holiday hours by shop type
| Shop type | Typical bank holiday hours |
|---|---|
| Large supermarkets (Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda, Morrisons) | 8am–8pm, some closing at 6pm |
| Discounters (Aldi, Lidl) | 8am–8pm |
| Convenience formats (Tesco Express, Sainsbury’s Local, Co-op) | Usually normal hours |
| Marks & Spencer | 9am–6pm foodhalls; larger stores 10am–5pm |
| Shopping centres | 10am or 11am to 5pm; individual units vary |
| DIY and garden centres (B&Q, Homebase, Wickes) | Often busiest day of the month; frequently 8am–6pm |
| Department stores | 11am–5pm typically |
| Independents and corner shops | Frequently normal hours — check locally |
| Pubs and restaurants | Mostly open, often on a bank holiday menu |
Chain-specific detail is on our pages for Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Aldi, and the cross-chain comparison is in our supermarket bank holiday opening hours guide.
DIY stores and garden centres are the exception to everything
A bank holiday weekend is peak trading for home improvement, not a quiet day. B&Q, Wickes, Screwfix branches and garden centres commonly open early and keep near-normal hours, because the demand is there. The Easter Sunday and Christmas Day restrictions still apply to the large ones, but on a May or August bank holiday they are among the few retailers that gain from the day.
Scotland and Northern Ireland
The Sunday Trading Act 1994 does not extend to Scotland. There is no six-hour Sunday limit, no compulsory Easter Sunday closure and no statutory Christmas Day closure for large shops — Scottish supermarkets that shut on 25 December do so as company policy. Scotland’s bank holiday dates are also different, including 2 January and an early-August summer holiday.
Northern Ireland has its own restrictions, which do close large shops on Easter Sunday and Christmas Day, and it has two extra bank holidays: St Patrick’s Day and the Battle of the Boyne.
Where to check on the day
Retailers publish bank holiday hours on their own store finder pages, usually one to two weeks ahead, and print a notice on the door. Google Maps and Apple Maps carry special hours but are frequently late or wrong. If the trip is not optional, phone the branch.
Two related services move differently from the shops: there are no Royal Mail deliveries or collections at all, and most Post Office branches close unless they sit inside a shop that is trading.
Frequently asked questions
Are shops open on bank holiday Monday in the UK?
Yes. Bank holiday Mondays are ordinary trading days in law throughout the UK, so shops open. Large stores usually cut their hours to something like 8am–8pm, while convenience stores and independents often trade as normal.
What time do shops close on a bank holiday?
Large supermarkets typically close between 6pm and 8pm rather than 10pm or midnight. Shopping centres commonly run 10am or 11am to 5pm. Hours are set branch by branch, so check the specific store rather than relying on a national figure.
Are shops open on Easter Sunday?
Not the large ones in England, Wales or Northern Ireland — shops over 280 square metres must stay closed on Easter Sunday. Smaller shops, convenience stores and forecourt shops can open and generally do. Scotland has no such restriction.
Are shops open on Boxing Day?
No law prevents it. Several chains — including Aldi, Waitrose and M&S — have chosen to close on Boxing Day in recent years, while Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Asda have generally opened on shortened hours. Announcements usually come in early December.
Do shops in Scotland follow the same bank holiday rules?
No. Sunday trading restrictions and the Easter Sunday and Christmas Day closures apply to England and Wales only. Scottish shops set their own hours, and Scotland’s bank holiday calendar is different, with 2 January a holiday and the summer bank holiday in early August.
- Shop opening hours and Sunday trading — House of Commons Library briefing SN05522
- Sunday Trading Act 1994 — legislation.gov.uk
- Christmas Day (Trading) Act 2004 — legislation.gov.uk
- UK bank holidays — gov.uk
- Public and bank holidays — mygov.scot
Checked September 2026. Opening hours and local holiday dates change — always confirm with the operator or council before you travel.