EASTER is always a bustling time for UK supermarkets, whether you’re preparing for a traditional family roast or indulging in a few too many chocolate eggs.
However, with many stores operating reduced hours over the Easter weekend, it’s wise to plan ahead.
We’ve listed all the major supermarkets closing their doors this Easter[/caption]
Most shops will be closed entirely on Easter Sunday (20 April).
Government rules dictate that stores in England and Wales over 280 square metres in size are legally obliged to close on Easter Sunday.
Shops smaller than this can remain open, but may change their opening hours to give staff time off.
While Good Friday (April 18) and Easter Monday (April 21) are bank holidays, many shops remain open, often with slightly reduced hours.
Larger chains typically provide store-specific Easter opening times on their websites or apps – using their store locators is the easiest way to find the latest information.
So, when exactly will your favourite supermarket be open?
Aldi
Aldi stores in England and Wales will remain open between 8am and 10pm on both Good Friday and Easter Saturday, but all will be closed on Easter Sunday.
They will reopen on Easter Monday, operating reduced hours from 8am to 8pm.
You can find your local store’s trading hours by visiting stores.aldi.co.uk/store-finder.
Asda
Opening hours at Asda supermarkets will vary, so customers are encouraged to visit storelocator.asda.com to check the most up-to-date information.
Nonetheless, the majority of its larger stores are expected to open from 7am to 10pm on Good Friday and Easter Saturday.
All larger stores will remain closed on Easter Sunday but are set to reopen on Easter Monday, with most operating between 8am and 10pm.
Most of its smaller Express stores will open at 7am and close at 10pm on Good Friday, Easter Saturday, Easter Sunday and Easter Monday.
Co-op
Co-op‘s larger stores will operate their usual hours on Good Friday, Easter Saturday, and Easter Monday.
However, branches in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland will be closed on Easter Sunday.
Meanwhile, Co-op’s smaller convenience stores will remain open as normal throughout the Easter weekend.
You can find your local store’s trading hours by visiting coop.co.uk/store-finder.
Iceland
Iceland stores in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland will be closed on Easter Sunday, whereas branches in Scotland will remain open.
For Good Friday, Easter Saturday, and Easter Monday, most stores will operate their regular opening hours, with the exception of those located in shopping centres.
You can find your local store’s trading hours by visiting iceland.co.uk/store-finder.
Lidl
Lidl stores will operate their usual hours on Good Friday and Easter Saturday.
Branches in England and Wales will be closed on Easter Sunday but will reopen on Easter Monday.
Meanwhile, Lidl stores in Scotland will remain open on Easter Sunday.
You can find your local store’s trading hours by visiting lidl.co.uk/c/store-finder/s10023098.
M&S
M&S stores will operate as usual on Good Friday and Easter Monday, with most branches open from 8am to 8pm.
While the majority of stores will close on Easter Sunday, a select few will remain open from 9am to 6pm.
The retailer has not confirmed which locations will be open on Easter Sunday, so it’s recommended to use the store locator tool to check if your local branch is operating.
You can find your local store’s trading hours by visiting marksandspencer.com/MSResStoreFinderGlobalBaseCmd.
How to compare prices to get the best deal
JUST because something is on offer, or is part of a sale, it doesn’t mean it’s always a good deal.
There are plenty of comparison websites out there that’ll check prices for you – so don’t be left paying more than you have to.
Most of them work by comparing the prices across hundreds of retailers.
Here are some that we recommend:
- Google Shopping is a tool that lets users search for and compare prices for products across the web. Simply type in keywords, or a product number, to bring up search results.
- Price Spy logs the history of how much something costs from over 3,000 different retailers, including Argos, Amazon, eBay and the supermarkets. Once you select an individual product you can quickly compare which stores have the best price and which have it in stock.
- Idealo is another website that lets you compare prices between retailers. All shoppers need to do is search for the item they need and the website will rank them from the cheapest to the most expensive one.
- CamelCamelCamel only works on goods being sold on Amazon. To use it, type in the URL of the product you want to check the price of.
Morrisons
Morrisons has confirmed that opening hours will vary across its stores in England, Scotland, and Wales.
Customers looking to check the hours for a specific branch are encouraged to use the supermarket’s online store locator for the most accurate information.
You can find your local store’s trading hours by visiting my.morrisons.com/storefinder.
Sainsbury’s
Sainsbury’s has confirmed that the majority of its larger stores will be open from 7am to 10pm on both Good Friday and Easter Saturday.
Its Local stores will also operate as usual on these days, with opening hours from 7am to 10pm.
On Easter Sunday, all larger Sainsbury’s stores across the UK will be closed, except for those in Scotland, which will remain open as normal.
Local stores, however, will continue to trade as usual from 7am to 10pm.
For Easter Monday, most larger stores will open with reduced hours, from 8am to 8pm, while Local stores will once again operate their standard hours of 7am to 10pm.
You can find your local store’s trading hours by visiting stores.sainsburys.co.uk.
Tesco
Most Tesco stores will operate their usual trading hours on Good Friday, although some locations may close earlier than usual.
Scottish stores will open as normal.
On Easter Sunday, all larger Tesco stores in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland will be closed, while those in Scotland will open from 8am to 8pm.
The majority of Tesco Express stores across the UK will remain open on Easter Sunday.
For Easter Monday, opening hours will vary by location, with many larger stores operating reduced hours and closing at 8pm.
Tesco Express stores, however, will open as normal.
You can find your local store’s trading hours by visiting tesco.com/store-locator.
Waitrose
Most Waitrose stores will be open from 8am to 8pm on both Good Friday and Easter Monday, with some smaller branches operating extended hours from 6am to midnight.
On Easter Saturday, all Waitrose stores will trade as normal.
However, the vast majority of branches in England, Scotland, and Wales will close on Easter Sunday.
You can find your local store’s trading hours by visiting waitrose.com/find-a-store.
