On Boxing Day in the UK, most big supermarkets and many high street chains are open, but often with reduced hours, while a noticeable number of retailers now choose to stay closed so staff get a full break after Christmas.

Big supermarkets

Most large food retailers reopen on 26 December, but usually not as early or as late as normal, and hours can vary by branch.

  • Often open in some form : Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons, Co-op and similar chains, typically mid‑morning to late afternoon or early evening.
  • Often closed or more limited : Some bigger-format stores or “extra” branches may stay shut even if the brand’s smaller convenience stores open.
  • Always check your local store’s online locator or app before heading out, because individual branches can set slightly different festive hours.

Shops that usually open

A lot of non‑food retailers use Boxing Day to kick off their winter or end‑of‑year sales, so fashion and mixed‑goods chains are commonly open.

  • Typically open with reduced or normal-ish hours: Primark, Next, H&M, New Look and other fashion brands looking to catch early sale traffic.
  • Health and beauty / chemists such as Boots and Superdrug are generally open, but bigger “flagship” stores may run shorter hours than usual.
  • Many home and bargain chains (for example B&M or similar discounters) also tend to open for daytime trading on Boxing Day, again often on a shorter schedule.

Shops that often stay closed

There is a growing trend for some retailers to give staff the whole day off and reopen on 27 December instead.

  • Supermarkets and DIY / home chains that may close many or all stores include Aldi, some Tesco large superstores, M&S, B&Q, and certain other big-box style retailers.
  • Some higher‑end department or home stores may either stay closed altogether or open only a few flagship locations in major shopping centres.
  • Where a brand does close widely on Boxing Day, it will usually flag this clearly on its website and social media ahead of time.

Quick tips for your area

Because Boxing Day opening is not identical everywhere, the safest way to know what shops are open on Boxing Day near you is:

  1. Use each retailer’s “store finder” and plug in your postcode or town to see Boxing Day hours.
  2. Check Google Maps or similar on 26 December itself, as many chains push updated festive hours there.
  3. If you rely on a specific chemist, supermarket or mall, look at its own website or social feed on Christmas Eve or Christmas night for any last‑minute changes.

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