This weekend sees the second three-day break of the month. Every year May has two bank holidays and on Monday, May 26, many people will be enjoying an extra day off work.
However for supermarket workers it might be business as usual with most stores opening their doors for at least some of the bank holiday. Unlike Christmas Day and Easter Sunday there are no government restrictions on opening times for this weekend’s Spring Bank Holiday, but some shops will still close earlier than usual.
Most supermarkets have now confirmed their opening hours for the weekend with the majority of stores operating under their normal opening hours on Sunday with changes only affecting the actual bank holiday Monday itself. Here’s a round-up of the major supermarkets.
Aldi
Aldi’s opening times will remain as normal on Sunday with hours only changing on the bank holiday itself on Monday. Aldi stores are usually open between 8am and 10pm on Saturday, across England, Wales and Scotland.
On Sundays, Aldi is usually open from 10am until 4pm, or 11am until 5pm, in England and Wales. In Scotland they’re open from 9am until 8pm.
On the bank holiday Monday, Aldi stores will open at 8am as usual but then close slightly earlier than normal. Instead of the regular 10pm closing time, most Aldi stores will shut their doors at 8pm.
However, in Scotland, the standard shopping hours of 8am to 10pm is likely to remain for many stores. You can locate your nearest Aldi using the supermarket’s locator tool here.
Lidl
Lidl has confirmed that the weekend opening hours will vary across the country for the late May Bank Holiday, so customers are advised to check their local store’s opening hours via the online store finder or through the Lidl Plus app.
Tesco
Tesco will open as usual on Sunday although this is limited to six hours under government rules. Most will be open between 10am and 11am and closing between 4pm and 5pm. However, stores in Scotland will have longer trading hours.
On Monday, most of Tesco’s larger stores will be open from 8am to 6pm, with some stores staying open until 8pm. In Scotland, the larger Tesco stores will operate from 8am to 8pm on bank holiday Monday, while in Northern Ireland, the hours will be from 7am to 6pm.
Tesco’s smaller convenience stores will operate their regular hours throughout the entire bank holiday weekend, opening between 6am and 7am and closing between 10pm and midnight. You can locate your nearest Tesco using the supermarket’s locator tool.
Sainsbury’s
Sainsbury’s stores will follow their usual opening hours on Sunday, with changes only on Monday. Superstores will open from 10am until 4pm or from 11am to 5pm in England and Wales. Sainsbury’s convenience stores will open between 6am or 7am and close between 10pm and 11pm.
On the bank holiday Monday, most Sainsbury’s stores will be open from 8am until 8pm – approximately two hours earlier than usual. Sainsbury’s Local convenience stores are set to be open from 7am until either 10pm or 11pm this Saturday, Sunday and bank holiday Monday.
Scottish Sainsbury’s will continue to operate under their regular trading hours from around 7am until 10pm on Monday. You can locate your nearest Sainsbury’s using the supermarket’s locator tool here.
Morrisons
Morrisons will open as normal on Sunday, including Morrisons Daily stores, the chain’s convenience stores. Bigger Morrisons stores in England and Wales will open at either 10am and 11am and close between 4pm and 5pm. Morrisons Daily stores will be open from 7am until 10pm.
On Monday Morrisons stores will open between 7am and 8am with most stores closing at 8pm – although some stores will remain open until 10pm. Morrisons petrol stations will also open half an hour earlier and close half an hour later on the bank holiday Monday. You can find your nearest Morrisons and check its opening hours with the supermarket’s locator tool here.
Asda
Asda will also operate its usual opening hours on Sunday when Asda superstores will only be open for six hours from either 10am or 11am, until 4pm or 5pm. On Monday most bigger Asda stores will operate from 8am until 10pm.
They will usually reopen on Tuesday from 6am then revert to their usual hours. Most Scottish Asda stores will maintain their regular trading hours over the weekend.
The chain’s smaller convenience stores, Asda Express, are typically open 24 hours seven days a week and is likely to be the same over the bank holiday weekend. You can locate your nearest Asda and check its opening times with the supermarket’s locator tool here.
Co-op
The Co-op has a variety of different sized stores from large supermarkets to smaller convenience shops. Most are likely to be open their normal hours however it warns some may open later and close earlier than normal. You can check opening times for your local Co-op online.
Iceland
Most Iceland stores will open as usual on Bank Holiday Monday but some will have reduced hours. Check your local branch here for details for your specific shop.
Waitrose
Waitrose’s opening hours can differ from one store to another. During bank holidays, some Waitrose stores operate under reduced hours and close earlier. To find your local store and see its opening hours use its locator tool.
