Major discount supermarket to close all 1,000 stores to give staff time off on Boxing Day

A MAJOR discount supermarket with more than 1,000 branches will close all stores on Boxing Day this year.

Aldi will be pulling down the shutters on all of its shops so its staff can spend more time with their families.

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The discounter will close on Boxing Day, a day which tends to be pretty busy for shoppers,

This is on top of being shut on Christmas Day, as it is every year.

Richard Thornton, communications director at Aldi, said: “We recognise that Christmas is an important time for many of our colleagues, and keeping our stores closed on Boxing Day gives them more time to spend with their families.

“Customers will have plenty to look forward to in the run-up to Christmas, with more of Aldi’s brand-new Christmas ranges arriving in stores over the next few weeks.”

Aldi has been closed its doors on Boxing Day for the past few years.

It comes after bargain retailers Poundland and Home Bargains announced that they would also be shutting their doors on Boxing Day.

Almost all stores across the UK shut on Christmas Day, but there are also a handful of retailers that won’t open on Boxing Day either.

Most of us will slowly return to usual working hours over the following week, and so will UK shops and supermarkets.

But then the New Year hits and shops will likely change their hours again.

This means customers will need to plan their shopping trips carefully from Boxing Day to New Year’s Day.

So far this year no other shops have revealed if they plan to close or stay open on Boxing Day or New Year’s Day.

Last year though dozens of chains across the country made the decicison to adjust their opening hours to give their workers a well-earned break.

Aldi, Iceland, John Lewis, and Poundland all pulled down their shutters on Boxing Day.

While other opted to operate with reduced hours instead, these included Sainsbury’s, Primark, Morrisons and B&M.

We’ll keep you updated on the major chains’ plans for this year as they’re announced.

Opening hours can vary from branch to branch, so as we get closer to Christmas make sure to check your local store times before you make the trip.

Most big retailers will have their opening times listed on their websites nearer the time.

Aldi is getting into the full festive spirit, releasing a “bonkers” Willy Wonka Christmas advert, but shoppers are all asking “Where’s Kevin?”.

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This post first appeared on thesun.co.uk