UK supermarket opening times for New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day including Tesco and more

Published 3 hours ago
Source: metro.co.uk
A customer using contactless payment at self-checkout in a supermarket
It’s not too late to get some bottles of fizz for midnight (Picture: Getty)

Worried you will need some last minute champagne for New Year’s Eve, or hangover food/salad for your new healthy life the morning after?

Then you might be in luck – supermarkets have revealed their holiday opening times for New Year’s Day 2026.

To save you looking at every website individually, Metro has compiled all the key information on which stores will be open for you below.

Branches will have different opening hours on the day, so check your local store’s specific timings to avoid disappointment and empty bags.

Which supermarkets will be closed on New Year’s Day 2026?

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Some shops will be entirely closed to give staff a well-deserved break on January 1, 2026. It is a bank holiday, so even if they are open, you should expect hours to be reduced.

Aldi

Aldi will be open tomorrow, but has said it will not open any branches on New Year’s Day, having also been closed the whole of Christmas and Boxing Day.

Rebecca Heley, a communications director at the German-owned retailer, said before the festive season: ‘Christmas is a special time, and we want to ensure all of our colleagues have the opportunity to relax and enjoy it with their loved ones.’

PENZANCE, UNITED KINGDOM - AUGUST 14: The Lidl logo is displayed outside a branch of the supermarket retailer Lidl on August 14, 2025 in Cornwall, England.The British retailer, founded in 1869, is one of the largest market leaders of groceries in the UK. (Photo by Matt Cardy/Getty Images)
You can only shop at Lidl on January 1 if you live in London (Picture: Getty)

Lidl

Lidl branches outside of London (with the M25 as the limit) will also be closed on New Year’s Day.

Within London, however, they will be open between 10am and 6pm.

Branches will all be open on New Year’s Eve.

Marks & Spencer

M&S stores will be shut on New Year’s Day, too, and most branches will close early on New Year’s Eve.

Jayne Wall, operations director for M&S, has said that ‘Christmas at M&S is very special’ and the company is grateful for its employees’ work in the festive season.

A customer carries food from a Marks & Spencer Group Plc (M&S) food hall in London, UK, on Friday, May 17, 2024. Marks & Spencer are due to report their latest earnings on Wednesday, May 22. Photographer: Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg via Getty Images
M&S stores are not set to open on Boxing Day, but some colleagues may be working in the depot to organise stock (Picture: Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Which supermarkets are open on New Year’s Day 2026?

Tesco, Asda, Morrisons, Waitrose, and Sainsbury’s will all be open for business on New Year’s Day, although their operating hours will be slightly different from normal.

Stores will be back to their normal hours after Friday, with the festive opening hours all done with for another year.

Tesco

You can check the opening times for your local stores in their store locator.

On New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day, the supermarkets will be open, but with holiday hours, e.g. many Tesco Express stores will close an hour early on both days, at 10pm.

Morrisons

Morrisons shop entrance
Morrisons stores are set to run relatively regular timings on Boxing Day (Credit: Shutterstock)

Morrisons is set to open at relatively regular timings, but check ‘exact times for your nearest Morrisons using our Store Finder’.

  • Wednesday 31st December: 7am to 7pm (England & Wales) / 6am to 7pm (Scotland)
  • Thursday 1st January: 9am to 6pm (England & Wales) / 8.30am to 6.30pm (Scotland)

Sainsbury’s

Sign for supermarket chain Sainsburys on 5th August 2025 in London, United Kingdom. J Sainsbury plc, trading as Sainsburys, is the second largest chain of supermarkets in the United Kingdom, with a 14.6% share of UK supermarket sales. (photo by Mike Kemp/In Pictures via Getty Images)
Sainsbury’s will keep relatively normal hours (Picture: In Pictures via Getty Images)

Sainsbury’s supermarkets will be open on NYE and New Year’s Day but will be closing a couple of hours early. Use the store locator to find your local branch’s exact times.

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Co-op

The Co-op supermarket chain is set to open on both days, but will close earlier than usual, and also open later than usual on New Year’s Day. Use their store finder to find exact times for your local branch.

The business stated: ‘During bank holidays and special times of year some of our stores may open later and close earlier than normal.’

Asda

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM - NOVEMBER 14: A view of an Asda store in Roehampton, London on November 14, 2025 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Peter Dazeley/Getty Images)
Asda plans to open on December 26 (Picture: Getty Images Europe)

The supermarket chain will open on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day, but with reduced hours, including at 24/7 superstores. Use the store finder to see exact times for your local branch, as they vary across the UK.

Waitrose

Stores will be open for New Year’s Eve, though they may close earlier than usual.

On New Year’s Day, some stores will be closed, so check your local branch to find out if yours is affected.

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NewsUKAldiAsdaCo-opLidlMarks & SpencerMorrisonsNew YearNew Year's Day