Sainsbury’s festive hours revealed: 1 day closed, 6am-11pm and 9am-6pm Boxing Day – are you ready?

Holiday habits are forming now. Retail timetables are shifting soon, and small changes could upend your last-minute plans.

Sainsbury’s has laid out its 2025 Christmas and New Year opening times, including a UK-wide shutdown on Christmas Day and adjusted hours across several key dates. The supermarket giant says most stores will run extended hours in the run-up to the big day, then shorten trading on Christmas Eve and again either side of New Year.

What Sainsbury’s has confirmed

The chain plans longer opening in the final week before Christmas, then a full-day closure across the UK on 25 December. Boxing Day trading resumes with reduced hours before a steady return to normal.

All Sainsbury’s stores will close on Christmas Day 2025 across the UK, giving retail staff a guaranteed day off.

Here is the core schedule Sainsbury’s says customers should expect this year:

Petrol filling stations open 30 minutes before and close 30 minutes after the main store, with a later start on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve.

Sainsbury’s stresses that local variations can apply. Shoppers should check the retailer’s store locator for the precise hours at their nearest branch before setting out.

Why a full shutdown matters

Large retailers across the UK shut their doors on 25 December in line with trading rules that ringfence the day for rest and family time. Supermarket staff secure a guaranteed break, while shoppers get a clear timetable for festive planning. The move has become a fixture of the British retail calendar, and most households now plan food, fuel and last-minute gifts around the closure.

Key dates you’ll care about

The calendar lands neatly for planners this year:

• Christmas Eve falls on Wednesday 24 December 2025.
• Christmas Day is Thursday 25 December 2025.
• Boxing Day is Friday 26 December 2025.
• New Year’s Eve is Wednesday 31 December 2025.
• New Year’s Day is Thursday 1 January 2026.

Most supermarkets plan 6am–11pm trading from 18–23 December. Early birds and night owls get longer windows to shop.

What it means for your festive food shop

Expect the busiest aisles on the evenings of 22 and 23 December. Early mornings often run calmer, so a 6am start could save time and stress. Christmas Eve still offers long convenience-store hours to pick up forgotten cream, batteries or wrapping paper after the main supermarkets close at 7pm.

Boxing Day brings a shorter 9am–6pm window for big stores, with convenience branches extending to 9pm. If you’re chasing yellow-sticker bargains, arrive early, and bring a cool bag to keep chilled items safe on the way home.

Deliveries, collections and fuel

• Online grocery slots sell out quickly in mid-December. Set alerts now and pick flexible substitution options.
• Click-and-collect often runs extended hours in the week before Christmas. Check exact cut-offs when you book.
• Fuel stations track store hours, with a 30-minute buffer either side. On 24 and 31 December they start an hour later than usual.

How to avoid a last-minute scramble

Work backwards from your Christmas menu. Buy long-life and frozen items during the 18–21 December stretch. Leave fresh bread, cream and herbs for early on 24 December. Freeze what you can, portioned and labelled. If guests drop out, freeze leftovers in shallow containers for quicker cooling and reheating.

Keep space in the fridge by chilling drinks outside if temperatures permit, or use a cool box with ice packs. Charge power banks for gifts that need USB leads, and pick up spare AA and AAA batteries when you see a deal. If you’re relying on public transport, check engineering works for the 24–27 December period and allow extra time.

Returns, exchanges and gift cards

Many retailers extend returns windows into January, but proof of purchase still speeds things up. Keep digital receipts in a single folder on your phone. If you receive duplicate gifts, consider returning one for a pantry restock after Boxing Day when shelves refill. For gift cards, snap a photo of the code and the receipt in case the physical card goes missing.

Scotland’s 2 January trading

Scottish supermarkets plan to open 8am–8pm on Friday 2 January, with local convenience stores set to run their standard hours. That gives an extra day to pick up first-week essentials once New Year’s Day closes.

At a glance

• 18–23 December: most stores 6am–11pm.
• Christmas Eve: supermarkets 6am–7pm; convenience 6am–9pm.
• Christmas Day: all stores closed.
• Boxing Day: supermarkets 9am–6pm; convenience 9am–9pm.
• New Year’s Eve: supermarkets 10am–7pm; convenience 6am–9pm.
• New Year’s Day: supermarkets 8am–8pm; convenience 9am–9pm.
• Scotland, 2 January: supermarkets 8am–8pm; convenience normal hours.

What to do now

• Check your local store’s page for any regional variations.
• Book online delivery or collection early, and set reminders for release times.
• Plan fuel stops around the 30-minute buffer, and the later starts on 24 and 31 December.
• Draft a two-trip shopping list: one for cupboard and freezer goods, one for fresh items on 24 December.

A little planning around the 7pm Christmas Eve cut-off and the Boxing Day restart can save a lot of queue time.

If you’re hosting, run a quick cost check. A typical four-person roast can drop in price if you swap premium joints for a larger chicken, bulk out with root veg, and buy dessert frozen. If you’re travelling, consider a small cool bag and ice packs so you can shop en route without worrying about fresh produce spoiling. That way you avoid the late-evening rush, protect the budget, and still sit down on time on Christmas Day—without a dash back to the shops.