TL;DR
Bank holiday opening hours typically run shorter than weekday hours. Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda and Morrisons large stores open from 9am or 10am to 7pm. Aldi and Lidl close at 8pm in most areas. Convenience formats often run normal hours.
Bank holiday opening hours typically run shorter than weekday hours, with large stores opening later and closing earlier. Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda and Morrisons large stores normally open from 9am or 10am to 7pm on bank holiday Mondays, while Aldi and Lidl typically close at 8pm. Convenience formats often run normal hours.
Sunday trading rules and their effect
Large stores in England and Wales over 280 square metres are limited to six hours of trading on Sundays under the Sunday Trading Act 1994. Bank holiday Mondays are not subject to the same restriction, but most large supermarkets choose to operate shorter hours.
Smaller convenience formats including Tesco Express, Sainsbury's Local and Co-op stores can trade normal hours on bank holidays. Scotland's Sunday trading rules differ, with no equivalent restriction on large stores.
Tesco bank holiday hours
Tesco superstores typically open from 8am or 9am to 7pm on bank holiday Mondays. Tesco Extra and 24-hour stores may operate longer hours but close earlier than usual.
Tesco Express convenience stores generally open normal hours, 6am to 11pm in most cases. The Tesco store locator on tesco.com confirms specific hours by postcode.
Sainsbury's, Asda, Morrisons hours
Sainsbury's superstores open 9am to 7pm on most bank holidays. Sainsbury's Local stores often run normal hours of 7am to 11pm. Asda follows a similar pattern with superstores typically 9am to 7pm and Asda Express stores running normal hours.
Morrisons superstores open 8am or 9am to 7pm. Morrisons Daily convenience stores typically run normal hours. Specific hours by store are listed on each retailer's store locator page.
Aldi and Lidl
Aldi typically opens 8am to 8pm on bank holiday Mondays. Lidl follows a similar pattern, with most stores 8am to 8pm. Both retailers update their store locator pages with confirmed hours in the week before each bank holiday.
Limited stores in resort or city centre locations may open later or run longer hours. The Aldi and Lidl apps show the local store's bank holiday hours alongside the latest Special Buys catalogue.
Co-op, Iceland and Waitrose
Co-op food stores generally run normal hours on bank holidays, 6am to 10pm or 11pm depending on location. Iceland stores typically open 9am to 6pm. Waitrose superstores open 9am to 6pm on bank holidays in most cases.
M&S Food, Whole Foods Market and Lidl operate their own bank holiday hours. The full list of hours for each chain is available through individual store locators or the Money Saving Expert annual bank holiday opening hours roundup.
Key facts
- Sunday Trading Act limits Sunday hours but not bank holiday hours.
- Most large supermarkets open 9am to 7pm on bank holidays.
- Aldi and Lidl typically 8am to 8pm.
- Convenience formats run normal hours.
- Store locator pages confirm hours by postcode.
FAQ
Why are supermarket hours shorter on bank holidays?
Large stores in England and Wales are limited to six hours on Sundays under the Sunday Trading Act 1994. Bank holiday Mondays are not subject to the same restriction but most large supermarkets choose to operate shorter hours.
Do convenience stores have different hours?
Yes, convenience formats including Tesco Express, Sainsbury's Local and Co-op generally run normal hours on bank holidays.
Where can I check my local store's hours?
Each supermarket's store locator page on its website confirms hours by postcode. The Money Saving Expert annual bank holiday roundup also lists typical hours by chain.
Does Scotland have different rules?
Yes, Scotland does not have the same Sunday trading restrictions as England and Wales. Large stores in Scotland can trade longer hours on both Sundays and bank holidays.
