A MAJOR DIY and garden retailer has become the latest in a string of chains confirming it will close all stores on Boxing Day.
B&Q has revealed it will shutter its more than 300 UK branches on December 25 and 26 to give staff a well-earned break.
The retailer, which stocks everything from garden products to kitchenware, tools and equipment will also close all its stores early on Christmas Eve.
Branches across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland will shut at 4pm instead of the usual 8pm.
The vast majority of the DIY chain’s stores will also be operating reduced opening hours on New Year’s Day.
Its stores in Scotland and on the islands of Jersey and Guernsey meanwhile will be closed to customers on January 1.
Shoppers should use B&Q’s store locator tool to find out when their local branch is closing over Christmas to avoid a wasted trip.
You can do this by using the retailer’s “Find a Store” tool on its website.
B&Q is the latest retailer to announce it will be closing for two days over Christmas to give staff time off.
Home Bargains was the first to announce it would shut all stores on Boxing Day, as well as Christmas Day.
Aldi followed, confirming it would close its more than 1,000 branches for two days over Christmas.
CDS Superstores, trading as The Range and Wilko, has also said it will close branches on December 25 and 26.
Plus, John Lewis, Waitrose and Homebase confirmed they will shutter down all their stores on Boxing Day.
It’s worth bearing in mind, almost all stores close on Christmas Day every year, but a handful of retailers usually shut the following day.
Last year, dozens of chains across the country made the decision to adjust their opening hours to give their workers a well-earned break on December 26.
Aldi, Iceland, John Lewis, and Poundland all pulled down their shutters on Boxing Day.
While other opted to operate with reduced hours instead, including Sainsbury’s, Primark, Morrisons and Tesco.
We will keep you updated on the major chains’ plans for this year as they’re announced.
In any case, most retailers will have store opening hours on their website.
It comes after Kingfisher, which owns B&Q, said in March it would be expanding its B&Q Local format across UK high streets.
B&Q opened nine of these new stores in the UK last year and said it had plans to open more.
BOXING Day is one of the busiest shopping days of the year.
So why do retailers decide to close? Senior Consumer Reporter Olivia Marshall explains.
Closing on Boxing Day allows staff to have a well-deserved break after the busy Christmas period.
This can help improve staff morale and reduce burnout.
It also provides them with an opportunity to spend time with their families and friends during the festive season.
For some retailers, the cost of opening on Boxing Day, including staffing and operational expenses, may not be justified by the expected sales revenue, especially if customer footfall is low.
With the rise of online shopping, some retailers may focus on online sales and promotions rather than opening physical stores on Boxing Day.
For some businesses, it may also be a a long-standing tradition for them to remain closed on Boxing Day.
From a practical perspective, the day after Christmas can be used for inventory checks, restocking, and preparing for post-Christmas sales.
This can be more effectively done without the distraction of serving customers.
