Aldi is known for remaining closed for both Christmas bank holiday days, so its staff can have a rest over the festive period – and this year will be no different
Aldi has confirmed its stores will once again be closed on Christmas Day and Boxing Day this year.
The discount supermarket chain said its shops will reopen on December 27. Aldi is known for remaining closed for both Christmas bank holiday days, so its staff can have a rest over the festive period. Its opening hours will vary in the run-up to Christmas, with shoppers advised to check its online store finder tool before visiting. Aldi has more than 1,020 stores and employs over 45,000 people.
Richard Thornton, Communications Director at Aldi UK, said: “Christmas is such a special period for many of our colleagues, and by keeping our stores closed on Boxing Day, Aldi gives them more time to spend with their loved ones. Customers will have plenty to look forward to in the run-up to Christmas, with exciting Christmas ranges hitting shelves in time for the festive season.”
John Lewis and Waitrose, which are part of the John Lewis Group, also confirmed they will be closing their stores over Christmas Day and Boxing Day. The only two stores which will be open on Boxing Day will be the John Lewis stores in Trafford and Stratford shopping centres. The majority of Waitrose and John Lewis stores will also be closed to shoppers on New Year’s Day.
Again, shoppers are advised to check opening times online to avoid a wasted journey. Home Bargains is also set to close all of its branches on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day. The retailer also said its stores will close earlier on Christmas Eve, shutting at 5pm instead of the usual 8pm or 9pm.
The news comes after Aldi announced plans to open 23 new locations before the end of the year – including Muswell Hill, London and Mere Green, Birmingham as part of a £800million investment programme. Nine new stores have been confirmed by the chain so far however the exact opening dates have not yet been announced. The new stores opening in the next few weeks include:
- Leytonstone, London
- Gosforth, Northumberland
- Pwllheli, Gwynedd
- Castle Douglas, Dumfries and Galloway
- Horsham, West Sussex
- Mere Green, Birmingham
- Muswell Hill, London
- Gosforth, Newcastle upon Tyne
- Plymouth, Devon
The £800million investment will also go towards the refurbishment of 100 existing stores well as expanding its network of distribution centres and updating its “technology infrastructure”. The move comes as part of plans for Aldi to boost its number of UK stores to 1,500.
Aldi’s latest annual results which showed that for the year until December 2023, sales at the supermarket grew by £2.4billion – or 16% – to £17.9billion. Aldi says this is its “highest-ever period of sales growth”. The company said its pre-tax profit had increased to £536.7million up from £152.6million in 2022.
