Christmas Day (Thursday, 25 December 2025) has arrived — and with it, the annual wave of “we’ve run out of…” moments. Across the UK and Ireland, the big supermarkets are largely shut today, while Boxing Day / St Stephen’s Day (Friday, 26 December 2025) brings a patchwork of reduced hours, region-by-region exceptions, and a growing trend of major chains choosing to stay closed.
Below is a practical, up-to-date guide to Christmas 2025 supermarket opening times — including what happened on Christmas Eve, what’s expected on Boxing Day, and what to plan for between 27 December and New Year’s Day (1 January 2026) — with separate sections for the UK and Ireland (including Donegal).
The headline today: most supermarkets are closed on Christmas Day 2025
In the UK, major supermarket brands are generally closed on Christmas Day, meaning last-minute grocery runs typically need to wait until Boxing Day (where stores reopen) or rely on alternatives like petrol stations, motorway services, and some local convenience retailers. [1]
That closure pattern is now colliding with another big Christmas 2025 story: Boxing Day shopping is expected to be huge, driven increasingly by online deals — with UK retailers forecasting around £3.8bn of spending and a strong shift toward digital sales. [2]
Quick guide: who’s open on Boxing Day 2025 in the UK?
Boxing Day is Friday, 26 December 2025 — and the big difference this year is that more major names are choosing to stay shut (or only open in limited regions) to give staff a longer break. [3]
Typically open (reduced hours)
- Tesco (many locations)
- Asda (many locations)
- Morrisons (many locations)
- Co-op (many locations, usually reduced hours)
Typically closed
- Aldi (closed UK-wide)
- Waitrose (closed in many areas)
- M&S (closed)
- Some Lidl regions (see Lidl’s regional breakdown below)
These can vary by store type and location — so treat any “national hours” as guidance, not a guarantee. [4]
What happened on Christmas Eve 2025 — and why it matters now
Christmas Eve (Wednesday, 24 December 2025) is when most shoppers got their final supermarket run in — and it’s also when supermarkets typically closed early, leaving anyone who missed the window waiting until Boxing Day.
Multiple UK guides published this week emphasised that closing times were earlier than normal across most big chains, especially for large-format stores. [5]
UK supermarket opening times: Boxing Day 2025 (Friday 26 December)
Tesco opening times (UK): Boxing Day and New Year
A widely reported guide for Tesco Christmas opening times 2025 indicates:
- Boxing Day (26 Dec): often 9am–6pm, with many Express sites trading later (often to 7pm)
- New Year’s Eve (31 Dec): typically reduced hours
- New Year’s Day (1 Jan): many stores open reduced hours, but varies strongly by location and store type [6]
Best tip: Tesco hours can vary a lot by branch — use the store locator before you travel. [7]
Asda opening times (UK): Boxing Day and New Year
Reported national guidance for Asda Christmas opening times 2025 includes:
- Boxing Day (26 Dec): often 9am–6pm
- New Year’s Eve (31 Dec): reduced hours
- New Year’s Day (1 Jan): often reduced hours [8]
Morrisons opening times (UK): Boxing Day and New Year
Coverage of Morrisons opening times for Christmas and Boxing Day 2025 commonly points to:
- Boxing Day (26 Dec):9am–6pm at many stores
- New Year’s Eve: reduced hours
- New Year’s Day: reduced hours in many areas [9]
Co-op opening times (UK): Boxing Day and New Year
Because Co-op has many convenience-format stores, the pattern is often:
- Boxing Day (26 Dec): many branches open, often reduced hours
- New Year’s Day (1 Jan): many branches open, often reduced hours [10]
Aldi opening times (UK): closed on Boxing Day and New Year’s Day
Aldi’s official UK holiday guidance for 2025 confirms:
- Christmas Day: closed
- Boxing Day: closed
- New Year’s Day: closed
…and advises checking local listings for the other dates. [11]
If you’re an Aldi regular, the practical takeaway is simple: plan for 27 December as your next likely shopping day. [12]
Lidl opening times (UK): the key detail is regional exceptions
Lidl’s own published schedule for England, Wales and Scotland shows that Boxing Day is not “one rule fits all”:
- Christmas Day (25 Dec): closed across England, Wales, Scotland
- Boxing Day (26 Dec):
- England inside the M25:10am–6pm
- England outside the M25:closed
- Wales:closed
- Scotland:11am–5pm [13]
Lidl also lists New Year’s Day (1 Jan 2026) with limited openings (notably inside the M25) and closures elsewhere. [14]
And if you’re in Northern Ireland, Lidl’s NI schedule shows Boxing Day closed. [15]
Sainsbury’s opening times (UK): check the store page — “seasonal hours” can differ
Sainsbury’s publishes seasonal opening hours per branch, and real store pages show Boxing Day can be reduced (and not necessarily identical everywhere). Example store listings show:
- Christmas Day: closed
- Boxing Day: reduced hours (example: 9:00–18:00) [16]
For Sainsbury’s, the safest guidance is: don’t rely on a national headline time — check your local store listing. [17]
Waitrose, M&S and other chains: closures are part of the 2025 “staff break” trend
A notable Boxing Day 2025 theme is how many major retailers (including supermarkets) are choosing to stay closed, with multiple UK reports describing it as a staff-first decision. [18]
- Waitrose: reports and official notices highlight Boxing Day closures, with some limited-service exceptions (such as certain partner locations or delivery options). [19]
- M&S: multiple guides list Boxing Day closed, and also New Year’s Day closed for many sites. [20]
- Iceland: coverage varies by region and store format — some reports suggest closures are widespread, while others note possible limited openings in specific areas. If Iceland is your local “emergency shop,” it’s especially worth checking the branch finder before heading out. [21]
Need essentials today? Christmas Day alternatives (UK)
If you’re stuck on Christmas Day, the most realistic options are petrol stations, motorway services, and some convenience outlets — with availability heavily dependent on location.
UK reporting today notes supermarket petrol stations are typically shut on Christmas Day, while pay-at-pump and non-supermarket fuel brands often keep more sites operating. [22]
Between Christmas and New Year in the UK: what to expect (27 Dec to 1 Jan)
After Boxing Day, most supermarkets return to something closer to normal — but with early closings and reduced New Year hours.
Key planning dates:
- Saturday 27 December 2025: generally a “back to normal-ish” shopping day for many chains (often busy)
- Sunday 28 December 2025: expect shorter hours for large stores in many areas
- New Year’s Eve (Wednesday 31 December 2025): many supermarkets close earlier than usual [23]
- New Year’s Day (Thursday 1 January 2026): a mixed picture — some chains reopen reduced hours, while others remain closed (Aldi UK is closed; Lidl has limited regional openings; many others vary by branch). [24]
Ireland and Donegal: supermarket opening times between Christmas and New Year 2025
In Ireland, Boxing Day is St Stephen’s Day (Friday, 26 December 2025) — and it’s a major reason Irish supermarket schedules differ from the UK.
Aldi opening hours (Ireland): closed on Christmas Day, St Stephen’s Day and New Year’s Day
Aldi Ireland’s published Christmas schedule includes:
- Christmas Eve (24 Dec):8am–7pm
- Christmas Day (25 Dec):closed
- St Stephen’s Day (26 Dec):closed
- New Year’s Eve (31 Dec):8am–7pm
- New Year’s Day (1 Jan):closed
- Normal hours resume 2 January [25]
Lidl opening hours (Ireland): clear national timetable for key dates
Lidl Ireland’s Christmas 2025 timetable lists:
- Christmas Eve (24 Dec):8am–6pm
- Christmas Day (25 Dec):closed
- St Stephen’s Day (26 Dec):closed
- New Year’s Eve (31 Dec):8am–6pm
- New Year’s Day (1 Jan):closed
- Reopens 2 January [26]
What about Tesco and other supermarkets in Ireland (including Donegal)?
Irish coverage this week highlights that Tesco’s holiday trading can depend on store format, and that selected larger stores may open limited hours on St Stephen’s Day and again around New Year — but with meaningful variation by location. [27]
For Donegal shoppers, the most reliable approach is the same as in the UK: check the specific branch listing (especially because border counties can have unique demand patterns and local operating decisions). [28]
Why this matters in 2025: Boxing Day is big — even as more stores stay shut
A major retail storyline today is that Boxing Day spending is still expected to surge — even though many big names are closed or running shorter hours. UK reporting points to online shopping growth as the main reason the day remains so commercially important. [29]
At the same time, multiple outlets list a widening group of retailers and supermarkets choosing to close on Boxing Day, framing it as part of a staff wellbeing and retention push during the busiest season. [30]
The most reliable way to check Christmas supermarket hours (and avoid wasted journeys)
Because festive schedules vary by:
- store format (superstore vs convenience),
- region (especially for Lidl),
- franchised partner sites (petrol stations, motorway services),
- and late operational changes,
…the best advice is consistent across retailers:
Use the official store finder / store page for your postcode before you travel. [31]
Bottom line
On 25 December 2025, you should assume the big supermarkets are closed. On 26 December 2025, expect a split between chains that reopen reduced hours (often Tesco/Asda/Morrisons/Co-op) and chains that stay shut (notably Aldi UK; many M&S and Waitrose sites), plus Lidl’s region-by-region exceptions. [32]
If you want, I can also rewrite this into a more “publisher-ready” format (same facts, tighter copy, fewer bullet points) while keeping it optimized for Google News/Discover.
References
1. www.independent.co.uk, 2. www.theguardian.com, 3. www.thesun.co.uk, 4. www.independent.co.uk, 5. www.thesun.co.uk, 6. www.the-independent.com, 7. www.tesco.com, 8. www.the-independent.com, 9. www.the-independent.com, 10. www.the-independent.com, 11. www.aldi.co.uk, 12. www.aldi.co.uk, 13. www.lidl.co.uk, 14. www.lidl.co.uk, 15. www.lidl-ni.co.uk, 16. stores.sainsburys.co.uk, 17. help.sainsburys.co.uk, 18. www.thesun.co.uk, 19. www.waitrose.com, 20. www.the-independent.com, 21. www.thesun.co.uk, 22. www.thesun.co.uk, 23. www.independent.co.uk, 24. www.aldi.co.uk, 25. www.aldi.ie, 26. www.lidl.ie, 27. www.limerickleader.ie, 28. www.tesco.ie, 29. www.theguardian.com, 30. www.thesun.co.uk, 31. www.tesco.com, 32. www.independent.co.uk
