Most major supermarkets and big-name retailers are open on Boxing Day (26 December), but often with shorter or modified hours, while a handful of chains choose to stay closed.

Big supermarkets

Across the UK and similar Boxing Day‑celebrating countries, many supermarkets open but do not run full normal hours.

  • Tesco: Most large stores typically open around 9am and close about 6pm, with smaller convenience formats running slightly later into the evening.
  • Asda: Commonly opens mid‑morning (around 9am) and shuts early evening on Boxing Day.
  • Sainsbury’s: Many bigger stores trade roughly 9am–6pm, with local/convenience branches often open later.
  • Morrisons: Usually closed Christmas Day and back open on Boxing Day, again mostly on reduced daytime hours.
  • Co‑op: Often open but with varied times; many sites run late‑morning to early‑evening hours.

Chains that stay closed

Some retailers use Boxing Day as an extra shutdown day, reopening on the 27th.

  • Aldi: Stays closed on Boxing Day and reopens on 27 December.
  • Lidl: In many areas, stores remain shut on Boxing Day, resuming normal hours the next day.
  • M&S (Marks & Spencer): Frequently keeps both food halls and clothing/home stores closed on Boxing Day.
  • Waitrose: Generally does not trade on Boxing Day, though some delivery/partner services may still operate.
  • Other high‑street names that often stay shut include John Lewis, IKEA, Home Bargains, Wickes/Wix, Next, and The Range in some regions.

Fashion, home and department stores

Plenty of non‑food retailers do open for in‑person Boxing Day sales, but hours vary by location and year.

  • Primark: Many branches reopen on Boxing Day, with some flagship stores running near‑normal hours (for example, 8am–10pm at busy city sites in recent years).
  • Selfridges: Department stores in London, Birmingham and Manchester typically open, but each site has its own schedule.
  • Other high‑street brands: Chains like B&M, Primark, New Look, River Island and Dunelm have recently opened on Boxing Day, often for shorter “daytime only” trading windows.

Outside the UK (e.g., US)

In the US, 26 December is not usually called Boxing Day, but the day after Christmas is one of the busiest shopping days of the year and most big retailers open.

  • Walmart, Target, Best Buy and similar big‑box chains generally reopen on 26 December, often on normal or near‑normal schedules.
  • Major grocery chains and pharmacies (Kroger, Publix, Whole Foods, 7‑Eleven, etc.) typically operate, though some may tweak hours.

How to check for “20xx” specifically

Exact Boxing Day opening times can change slightly year to year, by region, and even by individual store.

  • Use each retailer’s online store locator (Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury’s, Aldi, etc.) and plug in your postcode for that specific Boxing Day date.
  • Look at the latest Christmas and Boxing Day hours pages that big news or consumer sites publish each December, as they often summarise which chains are open or closed.

Bottom note: Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.