Are shops open on bank holidays?
Most are. A bank holiday is not a legal reason for a shop to close, and only two days in the year force large shops in England and Wales to shut.
Shops can open on a bank holiday for as many hours as they like, and at a retail park most of them do. What catches people out is not the bank holiday but the days around it: Easter Sunday and Christmas Day are the two exceptions for large shops in England and Wales, and Good Friday is a normal trading day in law even though many people assume otherwise.
The law in one table
| Day | England and Wales (large shops) | Scotland |
|---|---|---|
| Weekday bank holiday | No limit | No limit |
| Good Friday | No limit | No limit |
| Easter Sunday | Must close | No limit |
| Easter Monday | No limit | Not a bank holiday; no limit |
| Christmas Day | Must close | Must close |
| Boxing Day | No limit, unless it is a Sunday | No limit |
| New Year's Day | No limit, unless it is a Sunday | No limit in force that we can find |
A large shop here means one with a relevant floor area over 280 square metres. When a holiday lands on a Sunday in England and Wales, the usual six-hour Sunday limit applies. See our Sunday trading guide for how that works, and GOV.UK's trading hours page for the official summary.
Northern Ireland has separate shop hours law, including a shorter Sunday window for large shops. Check nidirect if you are shopping there.
UK bank holidays: remaining 2026 and first half of 2027
| Date | Holiday | Applies to |
|---|---|---|
| Monday 30 November 2026 | St Andrew's Day | Scotland |
| Friday 25 December 2026 | Christmas Day | UK |
| Monday 28 December 2026 | Boxing Day (substitute day) | UK |
| Friday 1 January 2027 | New Year's Day | UK |
| Monday 4 January 2027 | 2 January (substitute day) | Scotland |
| Wednesday 17 March 2027 | St Patrick's Day | Northern Ireland |
| Friday 26 March 2027 | Good Friday | UK |
| Monday 29 March 2027 | Easter Monday | England, Wales, Northern Ireland |
| Monday 3 May 2027 | Early May bank holiday | UK |
| Monday 31 May 2027 | Spring bank holiday | UK |
Dates are from the GOV.UK bank holiday list. Easter Sunday 2027 is 28 March, which is the day large shops in England and Wales must close.
What to expect at a retail park
Bank holidays are usually busy at out-of-town shops. Furniture, DIY and homeware stores often run bank holiday sales, and garden centres see their biggest days around Easter and the May holidays. Opening hours often look like a Sunday or a slightly shortened Saturday, though a large shop on a weekday bank holiday is not held to the Sunday limit.
A few things tend to run differently even when the doors are open:
- Deliveries and installation. Bulky item delivery and fitting teams often have no bank holiday slot. Our guide to getting bulky purchases home has alternatives.
- Click and collect. Collection desks may run shorter hours than the shop floor. See our click and collect guide.
- Parking. Time limits and camera enforcement generally carry on, and full car parks make overstaying easier. Read the signs on the day, and see our parking charges guide.
- EV chargers. Busy days can mean queues. Our EV charging guide covers how charging and parking limits interact.
Do shops have to pay staff more on bank holidays?
There is no general legal right to extra pay or a day off on a bank holiday in the UK. Pay and time off depend on the employment contract. GOV.UK's holiday entitlement guidance sets out the basics. This does not change your rights as a customer, but it is one reason some independents choose to close.
How to check before you travel
Bank holiday hours are set branch by branch, so the retailer's store finder is the place to check. The retail park's own website may list hours too, but it can be out of date, particularly for individual units. If a trip depends on one shop, confirm that shop rather than the park.
Christmas has more moving parts than other holidays. Our Christmas opening hours guide has the 2026 dates and the rules for Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year.