Christmas opening hours 2026: what the law says
Christmas Day falls on a Friday this year, and it is the one day most big shops cannot open even if they want to. Almost everything else about festive hours is the retailer's own choice.
The short version: large shops in England, Wales and Scotland must close on Christmas Day. Boxing Day, New Year's Eve and New Year's Day have no equivalent ban in England and Wales, so hours on those days are set shop by shop. Here is how the 2026 dates fall, and what to expect at a retail park.
Festive dates for 2026 at a glance
| Day | Date | Legal position for large shops |
|---|---|---|
| Christmas Eve | Thursday 24 December | Normal weekday. No legal limit, though many shops close early. |
| Christmas Day | Friday 25 December | Must close in England, Wales and Scotland, unless exempt. |
| Boxing Day | Saturday 26 December | No legal limit. It is a Saturday this year, so Sunday rules do not apply. |
| Sunday after Christmas | Sunday 27 December | Normal Sunday trading rules apply. |
| Boxing Day substitute bank holiday | Monday 28 December | No legal limit. Shops choose their own hours. |
| New Year's Eve | Thursday 31 December | No legal limit. |
| New Year's Day | Friday 1 January 2027 | No legal limit in England and Wales. |
Because Boxing Day lands on a Saturday, the bank holiday moves to Monday 28 December. That gives retail parks an unusual run of Saturday, Sunday and a Monday bank holiday straight after Christmas. The dates come from the GOV.UK bank holiday list.
Are shops open on Christmas Day?
Large shops are not. In England and Wales, the Christmas Day (Trading) Act 2004 says a large shop must not be open on Christmas Day to serve retail customers. A large shop is one with a relevant floor area over 280 square metres, the same test used for Sunday trading, and the rule applies whatever day of the week Christmas falls on.
Smaller shops can open if they choose to. That is why a corner shop, a small-format convenience store or a petrol station kiosk may be trading while the supermarket next to it is dark. Exempt premises under the Sunday trading rules, such as shops at railway stations and airports, also fall outside the ban.
In practice, nearly every unit at a retail park will be closed. Most are well over the 280 square metre line, and the ones that are not usually close anyway because the rest of the park is shut. Expect the car park to be empty and any food outlets to follow their own plans.
Scotland
Scotland has its own law with a similar effect. Under the Christmas Day and New Year's Day Trading (Scotland) Act 2007, no large shop may open for retail sales on Christmas Day unless it is exempt. The exemptions cover places mainly selling meals or refreshments, pharmacies open only to dispense prescriptions, shops within a port, railway station or commercial airport, motorway service areas, and businesses mainly selling motor fuel.
Northern Ireland
The 2004 and 2007 Acts cover Great Britain only, and Northern Ireland has its own shop hours law. Large retailers there generally close on Christmas Day as a matter of company policy. If you are shopping in Northern Ireland, check the store directly and see nidirect for current rules.
Boxing Day opening times
There is no law stopping shops opening on Boxing Day in England and Wales. Many retail park stores do open for sales, often earlier than a normal Saturday, while others stay closed to give staff the day off. Some chains have made a point of closing on Boxing Day in past years, and a few supermarkets do so too, so do not assume last year's pattern carries over.
This year Boxing Day is a Saturday, which matters more than it sounds. In a year when it falls on a Sunday, large shops in England and Wales are held to six hours. In 2026 they are not.
Christmas Eve opening times
Christmas Eve is a Thursday, so large shops can legally trade as normal. Most trade long days up to an early evening close, and supermarkets are often the first to wind down. Click and collect cut-offs usually arrive earlier than the shop's closing time, so check them separately if you are relying on a late pickup. Our click and collect guide covers what happens if an order is not ready.
New Year's Eve and New Year's Day
New Year's Eve is another ordinary weekday in law. On New Year's Day, shops in England and Wales can open as they please, and most retail parks do run reduced hours. For more on the January bank holidays, see our bank holiday opening hours guide.
Scotland is worth a separate check. The 2007 Act lets Scottish Ministers extend the Christmas Day ban to New Year's Day by order, but that needs a report and a vote of the Scottish Parliament first, and we have not found an order doing so. Many Scottish stores close on 1 January by choice, and 4 January 2027 is the substitute bank holiday for 2 January there.
How to check your shop's festive hours
- Use the retailer's store finder. Festive hours are published per branch, and most big chains post them from late November onwards.
- Do not rely on Google's listed hours in the week of Christmas. Listings can lag behind temporary changes.
- Check each shop separately. A retail park has no single opening time, for the same reasons we explain in our Sunday trading guide.
- Look at parking rules before a sales trip. Time limits usually stay in force on bank holidays, and queues count towards your stay. Our parking charges guide explains how they work.
- Plan the order of your visit. Our trip planning guide shows how to work around staggered opening.
Bought something before Christmas that needs to go back? Extended returns windows are the shop's own policy, not a legal right. Our guide to Christmas returns and gift receipts explains what you can and cannot insist on.