Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Aldi, and Lidl are among the supermarkets to adjust opening hours at stores across the UK during the festive period, reports The Manc.
As Christmas is fast approaching, most of us will 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 tends to leave us running to the shops before 25th.
While some have probably opted for home deliveries or Click & Collect services, others still prefer to shop in store.
To help you make sure everything is sorted, we’ve pulled together a list of all the major supermarket opening hours over the festive period, so grab your bags for life and get your shopping list at the ready, because Santa is on his way and he'll be expecting his annual dose of mince pies.
Here’s a roundup list of supermarket opening hours.
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Tesco
Shoppers are being advised to check the Tesco Store Locator for the festive opening times at their local store, as different branches are operating different hours, however, most stores are operating reduced hours on Christmas Eve, Boxing Day, New Year's Eve, and New Year's Day, as well as being closed all day on Christmas Day.
Here's a rough guideline:
Christmas Eve: 10am / 11am - 4pm
Christmas Day: CLOSED
Boxing Day: 9am - 6pm
New Year's Eve: 10am / 11am - 5pm
New Year's Day: 9am - 6pm
Check the opening times for your local Tesco store here.
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Sainsbury's
Just like Tesco, Sainsbury's hasn't released standard operational hours over this Christmas period, so shoppers are encouraged to head to the retailer's Store Locator to find out the opening times for the nearest branch.
What we do know is that most stores will be open on Christmas Eve and Boxing Day, with hours varying from store to store, but all branches will be closed on Christmas Day.
You can check the opening times for your local Sainsbury's store here.
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ASDA
Following along the same lines as Tesco and Sainsbury's, ASDA shoppers are being advised to check the Asda Store Locator for the festive opening times at their local store, as different branches are operating different hours, however, most stores are operating reduced hours on Christmas Eve, Boxing Day, New Year's Eve, and New Year's Day, as well as being closed all day on Christmas Day.
Here's a rough guideline:
Christmas Eve: 11am - 5pm
Christmas Day: CLOSED
Boxing Day: 9am - 6pm
New Year's Eve: 11am - 5pm
New Year's Day: 9am - 6pm
Check the opening times for your local ASDA store here.
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Morrisons
19-23 December: 6am - midnight
Christmas Eve: 10am - 4pm
Christmas Da: CLOSED
Boxing Day: 9am - 6pm
27-30 December: 7am - 10pm
New Year's Eve: 10am - 4pm
New Year's Day: 9am - 6pm
Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Aldi, and more have adjusted their opening hours for the festive period / Credit: Tesco
Aldi
19-23 December: 7am - 10pm
Christmas Eve: 9:30am - 4pm
Christmas Day & Boxing Day: CLOSED
27-30 December: 8am - 8pm
New Year's Eve: 9:30am - 4pm
New Year's Day: CLOSED
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Lidl
Lidl's opening hours vary from store to store over the festive period.
The discount retailer has, however, confirmed it will be closed on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day, with many of its stores shut for Boxing Day too, but with times differing on the other days around this, customers are encouraged to check the Lidl Store Finder for their local branch.
Check the opening times for your local Lidl store here.
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Co-op
Just like many other retailers on this list, Co-op's opening times vary from store to store over the festive period, but the retailer has confirmed it will be operating reduced hours on Christmas Eve, Boxing Day, New Year's Eve, and New Year's Day - with all branches closed on Christmas Day across the UK as a standard.
Shoppers are being urged to check the Co-op Store Finder for the opening hours for their nearest branch here.
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M&S
Once again, M&S is another retailer where festive opening hours differ from store to store, so it's best to check your local branch specifically - but what we do know is that all stores across the UK will be closed on Christmas Day and Boxing Day as a standard.
Here's a guideline:
19-22 December: 6am - 10pm
23 December: Open until 10pm (select stores)
Christmas Eve: Open until 4pm (select stores)
Christmas Day and Boxing Day: CLOSED
Check the opening times for your local M&S store here.
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Featured Image - Morrisons
Christmas
Major plans announced for Leeds Christmas Markets 2026 – food, drinks, stalls and more
Leeds Christmas Markets is returning to the city centre in just two months' time and some major plans and changes have been announced.
Although Pop Princess Zara Larsson might want us to believe "Summer isn't over yet", it's safe to say that the recent downpours we've had across West Yorkshire disagree.
Leeds Christmas Markets are also ringing in the new season with a jam-packed video posted to social media announcing all the current plans and changes for its 2026 schedule.
This year, outdoor events company Thor’s Tipi are stepping up as the all-new operators of this Christmastime spectacular and are organising a celebration where 'even if you’re not from Yorkshire, you’re going to leave being from Yorkshire'.
Leeds Christmas Markets are returning to Leeds City Square from Thursday 19 November with plenty of Yorkshire-centric stalls / Credit: The Hoot Leeds
Although Leeds locals already know that Yorkshire is 'God's Own Country', the Leeds Christmas Markets team are making sure that the county is represented through its food, drinks and wider stalls.
In a video uploaded to its social accounts, foodie expert and Little Bao Boy Founder James 'Jimmy Chews' Ooi was given the honour of revealing all these exciting plans.
Informing everyone that "You best come hungry", Ooi noted that some of the phenomenal vendors taking part include La Grassa and The Savvy Baker.
Real Markets Yorkshire and Stump Cross Caverns are also getting into the Christmas spirit and setting up their own stalls at Leeds City Square this November.
La Grassa is just one of many familiar foodie faces returning to Leeds Christmas Markets / Credit: The Hoot Leeds
Rated restaurants and bars are contributing to the festive frenzy too, like Cabaret Thursdays at Italian restaurant Bibi's and beer garden destination Green Room are hosting singalongs at Leeds Christmas Markets.
There will be plenty of activities for families happening all around the unofficial capital of West Yorkshire like elf-themed scavenger hunts, various elves on various shelves and lots of live music.
If it wasn't apparent already, in the words of Jimmy Chews himself, there's about to be "So much Christmas that Mariah Carey is going to look like the Grinch".
Leeds Christmas Markets are returning to Leeds City Square from Thursday 19 November and there will be plenty of exciting announcements to the upcoming celebrations ahead of the big day.
Popular TV channel playing Christmas films 24/7 is now back on air in the UK
Emily Sergeant
Think it's too early for 'C word'? Never mind, you've already clicked on this article.
Sure, we may only be into our second full week of September, but given the fact the weather these past couple of days hasn't exactly screamed summer, it already feels like the festive season is around the corner - but whether or not you think it’s too early to be talking about Christmas, it’ll soon be too tricky to escape from.
Especially not when the famous TV channel showing festive film favourites non-stop is now back on air in the UK.
Yes, you heard that right - Christmas films, 24-hours a day, seven days a week.
If you’re ready to wave goodbye to summer, and in welcome autumn and winter with open arms, then there's arguably no better way of getting into the festive spirit than with the long-awaited and highly-anticipated return of the TV channel that's charmed audiences for over half a decade now.
GREAT! Christmas the UK’s biggest seasonal channel, and it's now live on Sky, Freesat, Freeview and Virgin Media.
You can expect almost four months of back-to-back seasonal movies.
The 24-hour feel-good and free-to-air channel will be bursting with non-stop Christmas spirit, and will be showing a heartwarming lineup of festive films - including some absolute fan-favourite classics that make it to screens every year without fail, alongside some cheesy Hallmark classics, new channel premieres, and so much more.
Viewers will find GREAT! Christmas on Freeview channel 51, Sky 319, Sky (Glass/Stream) 317, Virgin channel 424, and Freely channel 47.