Boxing Day 2026 is Saturday 26 December, and the bank holiday moves to Monday 28 December. Large shops in England and Wales must close on Christmas Day and have no limit on opening hours on Boxing Day 2026. Online orders can be cancelled within 14 days of delivery, and sale items carry the same refund rights as full-price goods.
TL;DR · LAST REVIEWED 10 NOVEMBER 2026
- Boxing Day 2026 is Saturday 26 December. The bank holiday is Monday 28 December 2026.
- No law sets a start date for Boxing Day sales. Each retailer chooses its own.
- Large shops in England and Wales must close on Christmas Day. On Sunday 27 December 2026 they can open for 6 hours in a row between 10am and 6pm.
- Sale items carry exactly the same refund rights as full-price items, according to GOV.UK.
- An online order can be cancelled within 14 days of delivery. An item delivered on 28 December 2026 can be cancelled up to 11 January 2027.
Boxing Day 2026 at a glance
| Item | Detail |
| Boxing Day 2026 | Saturday 26 December |
| Bank holiday | Monday 28 December 2026 |
| Large shops on Christmas Day, England and Wales | Must close |
| Online cancellation period | 14 days from delivery |
| Refund on a faulty sale item | Same right as at full price |
Source: GOV.UK
KEY FACTS
- Boxing Day bank holiday 2026: Monday 28 December, a substitute day because 26 December is a Saturday (GOV.UK).
- Large shops, over 280 square metres, must close on Christmas Day in England and Wales (GOV.UK).
- Sunday opening for large shops: 6 hours in a row between 10am and 6pm (GOV.UK).
- Sale items: exactly the same refund rights as full-price items (GOV.UK).
- Online, mail and phone orders: 14 days from delivery to cancel, then 14 days to send the item back (GOV.UK).
- Section 75 covers credit card purchases priced over £100 and up to £30,000 (Financial Ombudsman Service).
When is Boxing Day and when do the sales start?
Boxing Day is 26 December every year. Boxing Day is a bank holiday in England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Boxing Day 2026 falls on a Saturday. Because 26 December 2026 is a Saturday, the Boxing Day bank holiday is Monday 28 December 2026, according to GOV.UK.
Boxing Day 2027 falls on a Sunday, and the bank holiday is Tuesday 28 December 2027. Boxing Day 2028 falls on a Tuesday and is a bank holiday on the day itself.
No law sets a start date for Boxing Day sales. Each retailer chooses its own dates.
| Year | Boxing Day falls on | Bank holiday | Large shops in England and Wales on 26 December |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Saturday 26 December | Monday 28 December 2026 (substitute day) | No limit on opening hours |
| 2027 | Sunday 26 December | Tuesday 28 December 2027 (substitute day) | Sunday rules: 6 hours in a row between 10am and 6pm |
| 2028 | Tuesday 26 December | Tuesday 26 December 2028 | No limit on opening hours |
Source: GOV.UK: UK bank holidays and Trading hours for retailers
Shop opening rules over Christmas in England and Wales
GOV.UK sets out the trading hours law for shops in England and Wales. A large shop is one that measures over 280 square metres. Large shops must close on Christmas Day, which is Friday 25 December in 2026. On a Sunday, large shops can open only for 6 consecutive hours between 10am and 6pm.
Boxing Day 2026 is a Saturday, so the Sunday limit does not apply on the day. It applies on Sunday 27 December 2026. In 2027 Boxing Day itself falls on a Sunday, so the 6-hour limit applies to large shops on Boxing Day 2027.
Small shops, up to and including 280 square metres, can open any day or hour. Some shops are exempt from the Sunday limit, including registered pharmacies, service stations and shops at transport hubs. A large shop that opens when it is not allowed to can be fined.
| Date | Large shops (over 280 square metres) | Small shops (up to 280 square metres) |
|---|---|---|
| Friday 25 December 2026, Christmas Day | Must close | Can open any hours |
| Saturday 26 December 2026, Boxing Day | No limit on opening hours | Can open any hours |
| Sunday 27 December 2026 | 6 hours in a row between 10am and 6pm | Can open any hours |
| Monday 28 December 2026, bank holiday | No limit on opening hours | Can open any hours |
Source: GOV.UK: Trading hours for retailers, the law
Refund rights on sale items
GOV.UK says customers have exactly the same rights to refunds when they buy items in a sale as when they buy them at full price. A retailer must offer a full refund if an item is faulty, not as described or does not do what it is supposed to. The Consumer Rights Act 2015 gives a short-term right to reject faulty goods that lasts 30 days.
A retailer must repair or replace an item returned within 6 months, unless it can prove the item was not faulty when the customer bought it. A retailer does not have to refund a customer who knew an item was faulty when they bought it. A retailer does not have to refund an item bought in person because the customer no longer wants it, for example because it is the wrong size or colour.
Customers have up to 6 years to make a claim for an item, or 5 years in Scotland.
| Situation | The rule |
|---|---|
| Item is faulty, not as described or does not do what it is supposed to | Full refund |
| Faulty item, short-term right to reject | 30 days under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 |
| Fault found within 6 months | Repair or replacement, unless the retailer can prove the item was not faulty when sold |
| Bought in a shop and no longer wanted | No legal right to a refund |
| Bought online, by mail or by phone and no longer wanted | 14 days from delivery to cancel |
| Bought in a sale | Exactly the same refund rights as at full price |
| Paid by credit card, item priced over £100 and up to £30,000 | Section 75 claim against the card provider for breach of contract or misrepresentation |
Source: GOV.UK: Accepting returns and giving refunds; Financial Ombudsman Service
Cancelling an online Boxing Day order: the 14-day deadlines
GOV.UK states that a customer who buys online, by mail or by phone can cancel within 14 days of receiving the item, even if it is not faulty. After telling the retailer, the customer has another 14 days to return the item. The retailer must refund the customer within 14 days of receiving the item back. The retailer cannot deduct fees from the refund unless the item has been used or damaged.
An item delivered on Saturday 26 December 2026 can be cancelled up to Saturday 9 January 2027. An item delivered on Monday 28 December 2026 can be cancelled up to Monday 11 January 2027. The deadline dates are calculations from the 14-day periods on GOV.UK.
Personalised or custom-made items and perishable items can be refunded only if they are faulty.
| Item delivered on | Last day to tell the retailer | Last day to send it back if cancelled on that day |
|---|---|---|
| Thursday 24 December 2026 | Thursday 7 January 2027 | Thursday 21 January 2027 |
| Saturday 26 December 2026 | Saturday 9 January 2027 | Saturday 23 January 2027 |
| Monday 28 December 2026 | Monday 11 January 2027 | Monday 25 January 2027 |
| Thursday 31 December 2026 | Thursday 14 January 2027 | Thursday 28 January 2027 |
| Monday 4 January 2027 | Monday 18 January 2027 | Monday 1 February 2027 |
Source: Kael Tripton calculation from the 14-day periods on GOV.UK
Paying by card: Section 75 and chargeback
The Financial Ombudsman Service says Section 75 lets a customer raise a claim against the bank or lender for a breach of contract or misrepresentation. Section 75 applies when the cash price of the goods or services is more than £100 but not more than £30,000. It is the cash price of the item that counts, not the amount paid on the credit card.
Section 75 does not apply to a payment by debit card or charge card. For a debit card payment, the card provider may still be able to help through the chargeback process. Chargeback is a way to challenge and claw back a payment made with a debit or credit card.
Returning Christmas gifts and unwanted sale buys
The law gives no right to a refund for an item bought in a shop only because it is no longer wanted. A retailer's own returns policy can offer more than the law requires, and the terms are set by the retailer. GOV.UK says a retailer can ask for proof that an item was bought from it. Proof can be a sales receipt or other evidence such as a bank statement or packaging.
For an online order, the 14-day cancellation period runs from the day the item was delivered. An item delivered on 1 December 2026 has a legal cancellation period that ends on 15 December 2026, before Christmas Day. A faulty gift carries the same rights as any other faulty item.
RELATED GUIDES
DISCLAIMER
This article is editorial information, not financial advice. Kael Tripton Ltd is not authorised or regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Figures were correct at the last review date shown above; verify current rates and rules with the primary sources listed below before acting.
Frequently asked questions
When do the Boxing Day sales start?
No law sets a start date for the Boxing Day sales. Each retailer chooses its own dates. Boxing Day 2026 is Saturday 26 December, and large shops in England and Wales must close on Christmas Day, Friday 25 December 2026.
Is Boxing Day a bank holiday in 2026?
Yes, Boxing Day is a bank holiday in every part of the UK in 2026. Because Boxing Day 2026 falls on Saturday 26 December, the bank holiday is the substitute day, Monday 28 December 2026, according to GOV.UK.
Are shops open on Boxing Day?
Each retailer sets its own hours within the law. The trading hours law in England and Wales puts no limit on opening hours on Boxing Day 2026, a Saturday. Large shops over 280 square metres must close on Christmas Day.
Can sale items be returned?
GOV.UK says customers have exactly the same rights to refunds on sale items as on full-price items. A faulty item must be refunded in full. A shop does not have to refund an item bought in person because it is no longer wanted.
How long is there to return an online Boxing Day order?
Customers have 14 days from delivery to cancel an online Boxing Day order, then another 14 days to send the item back. An item delivered on Monday 28 December 2026 can be cancelled up to Monday 11 January 2027. The retailer must refund within 14 days of getting the item back.
SOURCES
- GOV.UK: UK bank holidays, accessed 10 November 2026
- GOV.UK: Trading hours for retailers, the law, accessed 10 November 2026
- GOV.UK: Accepting returns and giving refunds, the law, accessed 10 November 2026
- Financial Ombudsman Service: Section 75 and chargeback, accessed 10 November 2026
- legislation.gov.uk: Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 22, accessed 10 November 2026
- legislation.gov.uk: Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013, accessed 10 November 2026
