The Summer Bank Holiday on Monday, August 31, 2026, will see major supermarkets across the UK operate altered opening hours, with many reducing their schedules due to legal restrictions, staffing costs, and lower customer demand.
The Bank Holiday weekend runs from Saturday, August 29 to Monday, August 31, marking the sixth of eight bank holidays shared across the UK. England and Wales have eight bank holidays in total, while Scotland has nine and Northern Ireland has ten. The previous bank holiday was the Spring Bank Holiday on May 25. The Summer Bank Holiday falls on August 3 in Scotland and August 31 in England and Wales.
Lidl and Aldi Opening Hours
A Lidl spokesperson said: "Our store opening hours for the Summer Bank Holiday are as follows: All our stores in Scotland and those inside the M25 will remain open as normal. Most stores outside the M25 and in Wales will operate under slightly reduced hours of 08:00 – 20:00 (8am-8pm). We encourage customers to check their local store's opening hours on the online store finder or through the Lidl Plus app before they make their journey."
Aldi stores across England and Wales will be open from 8am until 8pm on bank holiday Monday, August 31, 2026, while stores in Scotland and Northern Ireland will operate their usual opening hours. Opening times can vary by location, so customers are encouraged to check the Aldi website for their local store’s hours before travelling.
Data from last year’s August bank holiday weekend shows that 8am to 9am and 7pm to 8pm were the quietest times to shop. Rachel Geary, communications director at Aldi UK, said: "Whether shoppers are stocking up for a barbecue, getting together with family and friends or picking up some last-minute essentials, we want to make their bank holiday shop as easy as possible. For anyone looking to beat the bank holiday rush, heading to stores first thing in the morning or later in the evening is likely to mean a quieter shop."
Tesco, Sainsbury's, and Argos
Tesco advised that its opening times will vary across the country, so customers are urged to check opening times using the store locator. Most of its large stores and large Express stores across England and Wales will be open from 8am to 6pm. Most Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Isle of Man stores will trade their normal opening hours, with no change for standard Express stores or petrol station hours.
A Sainsbury's spokesperson said: "The vast majority of our supermarkets will be open from 7am until 8pm on bank holiday Monday. Our convenience stores will be open as usual from 7am to 11pm. Opening hours can vary though, so we advise customers to check our store locator for the latest details for their area."
Argos, owned by Sainsbury's, will see most stores open from 9am to 8pm, or to match the store or centre hours for store-in-store locations. A spokesperson said: "Opening hours can vary though, so we advise customers to check our store locator for the latest details for their area."
Morrisons, Asda, Co-op, Iceland, and Waitrose
A Morrisons spokesperson said: "Our Scottish supermarkets are open as usual and our English and Welsh stores are open from 07.00 - 20.00. We'd always recommend customers use our store finder to check their local store's opening hours."
Asda said most of its larger stores will be open at their usual times this weekend, but this may vary across its estate, with customers advised to check individual store times using the Store Locator.
Co-op stores will be open as usual, with a spokesperson saying: "Our stores will be open as usual over the Bank Holiday to serve our communities, which for a convenience store is typically 7am-10pm."
Iceland confirmed that all Iceland and The Food Warehouse stores will be open as usual across the August bank holiday, with standard opening hours in place. For stores within shopping centres, restrictions may apply, and customers are advised to check local shopping centre websites.
Waitrose said some branches may open on reduced hours, advising customers to check times of individual shops using the branch finder page on its website.
