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On an ordinary bank holiday Monday almost every UK supermarket opens — just for fewer hours than usual. There are only two days in the year when the law forces the big stores to shut, and neither of them is a Monday.
The two days large stores must close
Under the Christmas Day (Trading) Act 2004, a large shop in England or Wales must not open on Christmas Day, whatever weekday it falls on. In 2026 that is Friday 25 December; in 2027 Christmas Day is a Saturday, with the bank holiday itself moved to Monday 27 December.
The Sunday Trading Act 1994 does the same job for Easter Sunday. A shop with a relevant floor area above 280 square metres (about 3,000 sq ft) cannot trade at all on Easter Sunday in England and Wales. Easter Sunday falls on 5 April 2026 and 28 March 2027 — and it is not itself a bank holiday, which catches people out every year. Our Easter bank holiday guide sets out the full four-day pattern.
Every other bank holiday is, legally, an ordinary trading day. Any reduction in hours on the early May, spring or summer bank holiday is a commercial decision by the retailer, not a legal requirement.
Chain by chain: what usually happens
Hours are set store by store, so no chain publishes a single national bank holiday time. The pattern below is what the major chains have typically run on recent bank holiday Mondays in England and Wales — treat it as a planning guide, then confirm on the retailer’s own store finder.
| Chain | Large stores, typical bank holiday Monday | Smaller format |
|---|---|---|
| Tesco | 8am–6pm at many Extras and superstores | Tesco Express usually normal hours |
| Sainsbury’s | 8am–8pm at supermarkets | Sainsbury’s Local usually normal hours |
| Asda | 8am–8pm, often the longest of the big four | Asda Express usually normal hours |
| Morrisons | 8am–6pm is common | Morrisons Daily usually normal hours |
| Aldi | 8am–8pm; every store on the same pattern | No convenience format |
| Lidl | 8am–8pm; every store on the same pattern | No convenience format |
| Waitrose | 8am–8pm, shorter in small branches | Little Waitrose usually normal hours |
| M&S | Foodhalls often 9am–6pm, larger stores 10am–5pm | Simply Food at stations usually normal |
| Co-op | Most branches trade normal hours | — |
Forecourt and railway station branches are the most reliable of the lot. They are nearly always below the 280 sq m threshold, so nothing in the trading legislation touches them and they tend to run their usual hours even on Christmas Day.
Scotland is a different legal regime
The Sunday Trading Act 1994 applies to England and Wales only. Scotland has no six-hour Sunday limit, no compulsory Easter Sunday closure and no statutory Christmas Day closure for large shops — when a Scottish superstore shuts on 25 December it is company policy, not law. Northern Ireland has its own rules, which do restrict large-shop trading on Easter Sunday and Christmas Day.
Scotland also keeps a different calendar. There is no Easter Monday bank holiday, the summer bank holiday falls at the start of August rather than the end, and 2 January is a bank holiday when most English stores are back to normal. The full picture is on our bank holidays in Scotland page.
Christmas, Boxing Day and New Year
The festive fortnight is where supermarket hours move most, and where the pattern has changed in recent years.
- Christmas Eve: usually normal opening with an early close, commonly 6pm at large stores.
- Christmas Day: large stores closed by law in England and Wales; in practice the chains close everywhere except some forecourt branches.
- Boxing Day: no legal restriction, but several chains — Aldi, Waitrose, M&S among them — have chosen to close entirely in recent years. Those that open typically run 9am–6pm. See our Boxing Day page for the substitution rules.
- The substitute days in late December: normally back to a standard bank holiday pattern, around 8am–8pm.
- New Year’s Day: a late start is the norm, often 10am or 11am until 5pm or 6pm.
- 2 January in Scotland: most stores open, some on reduced hours.
How to check your own store
- Use the retailer’s store finder and search your specific branch — the chains post bank holiday hours there, usually one to two weeks ahead.
- Look for the printed notice on the door in the week before. It is the most accurate source there is.
- Treat Google Maps and Apple Maps as a hint rather than a guarantee; special hours are often fed in late or not at all.
- If the trip matters — a prescription counter, a click-and-collect slot, a long drive — phone the store.
Deliveries are a separate question from doors. Online slots on a bank holiday are usually reduced rather than cancelled, and they fill early: book several days ahead if you need one. If you are also waiting on post, our Royal Mail bank holiday guide explains what does and does not move.
Frequently asked questions
Are supermarkets open on bank holiday Monday?
Yes. On the early May, spring and summer bank holidays there is no legal restriction on opening in any part of the UK, and the major chains all trade. What changes is the hours: large stores commonly move to something like 8am–8pm, while convenience branches usually keep their normal times.
What time do supermarkets close on a bank holiday?
Most large supermarkets in England and Wales close between 6pm and 8pm on a bank holiday Monday, compared with 10pm to midnight on a normal day. Morrisons and Tesco superstores are often at the earlier end, Asda and the discounters at the later end. Hours are set branch by branch, so check your own store’s page.
Are supermarkets open on Easter Sunday?
Not the large ones in England and Wales. The Sunday Trading Act 1994 bans shops over 280 square metres from opening on Easter Sunday. Convenience stores, forecourt shops and other small branches can and do open. Scotland has no such restriction.
Are supermarkets open on Boxing Day?
There is no law preventing it, but the trend has moved the other way. Aldi, Waitrose and M&S have all closed their stores on Boxing Day in recent years, and others open on shortened hours of roughly 9am to 6pm. Check the chain’s announcement, which usually lands in early December.
Do the same supermarket rules apply in Scotland?
No. Sunday trading restrictions, the Easter Sunday ban and the Christmas Day closure requirement all apply to England and Wales, not Scotland. Scottish stores that close on Christmas Day do so by choice. Scotland’s bank holiday dates are also different, including 2 January and an August rather than late-summer bank holiday.
- 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.