which stores open christmas day
Most big-box and grocery chains are closed on Christmas Day, but several pharmacies, convenience stores, and a few grocery brands and restaurants do stay open in many areas. Hours are almost always reduced or location- dependent, so checking your specific store before heading out is essential.
Major places usually open
These chains commonly have at least some locations open on Christmas Day, often with limited hours.
- Pharmacies & drugstores:
- CVS (many locations, pharmacy hours may differ)
* Walgreens (most locations, pharmacy hours may differ)
- Convenience & gas/convenience stores:
- 7‑Eleven (most locations 24/7, even on Christmas)
* Sheetz (typically open 24/7)
* Wawa (most locations open, many 24 hours)
* Circle K, Casey’s, Cumberland Farms and similar regional chains often run with normal or reduced hours.
- Grocery brands with some open locations :
- Select Albertsons, Safeway, Acme and similar banners may open with reduced hours, depending on region.
- Restaurants & coffee (varies heavily by location/franchise):
- Some Denny’s, Starbucks and Dunkin’ locations open with holiday hours.
Big stores usually closed
Most large retailers and many supermarket chains close entirely for Christmas Day.
- Closed big-box & department stores (nationally or in most areas):
- Walmart, Target, Costco, Sam’s Club, Home Depot, Lowe’s, Best Buy, Kohl’s, TJ Maxx, Marshalls, Macy’s and similar chains.
- Closed grocery chains :
- Trader Joe’s, Aldi, Publix, Kroger, Wegmans, Food Lion, Harris Teeter and many other regional supermarket chains.
Quick HTML table: common open vs. closed
| Category | Often Open Christmas Day | Usually Closed Christmas Day |
|---|---|---|
| Pharmacies | CVS (many), Walgreens (most), hours vary | [1][3]Some regional pharmacies, Rite Aid in many areas | [3]
| Convenience & gas | 7‑Eleven, Sheetz, Wawa, Circle K, Casey’s and similar chains, often 24/7 | [7][5][1][3]Smaller local shops that don’t run 24/7 (varies by town) |
| Grocery | Some Albertsons/Safeway/Acme locations with reduced hours | [5][1][3]Trader Joe’s, Aldi, Publix, Kroger, Wegmans, many others | [3][5]
| Big-box & department | Very few, if any; assume closed | [5][3]Walmart, Target, Costco, Best Buy, Kohl’s, TJ Maxx, Marshalls, Macy’s, Home Depot, Lowe’s, etc. | [9][3][5]
| Restaurants & coffee | Some Denny’s, Starbucks, Dunkin’ with holiday hours | [7]Many sit‑down and local restaurants (varies by city) |
How to check your local store
Because Christmas hours are highly local, the safest move is to confirm before you go out.
- Use the store’s online locator or app and look specifically for “Holiday hours” on December 25.
- If the website is unclear, call the exact location to confirm.
- In cities, also check Google Maps or Apple Maps, which often show updated holiday hours crowdsourced from customers and the business.
Forum & “retail worker” chatter
On retail forums, workers frequently vent about being scheduled on Christmas Day, especially at gas stations, convenience stores and some grocery locations that stay open. Many posts urge shoppers to plan ahead and avoid “emergency” holiday shopping so fewer staff are stuck working on the holiday.
Meta description (SEO):
Wondering which stores are open Christmas Day? From pharmacies and convenience
stores to select groceries and restaurants, here’s the latest on what stays
open and what closes, plus tips to verify hours.
Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.