Sainsbury's customers may find that the opening hours of their nearest supermarket are a bit different this bank holiday Monday. The early May bank holiday falls on Monday, May 4. In the run-up to this, Sainsbury's stores will be open as normal on Saturday, May 2 and Sunday, May 3.
On Monday, May 4, the majority of larger Sainsbury's stores in England and Wales will be open from 8am to 8pm. However, opening times may still vary between branches, so customers are advised to use the Sainsbury's store finder tool online to double-check their local store.
Sainsbury's Local and Scottish Stores
Sainsbury's Local convenience stores will operate under their normal opening hours on bank holiday Monday, typically from 7am until 10pm or 11pm. In Scotland, the majority of Sainsbury's branches will be open as usual, as there are no legal restrictions on trading hours for large shops on Sundays or bank holidays in Scotland.
War Impact and Profit Guidance
The announcement comes after Sainsbury's warned that the Iran war "will impact both our customers and our business," echoing a similar message from rival Tesco. The supermarket giant stated that the exact impact remains "very uncertain" and has adjusted its profit guidance accordingly. In its latest financial results, Sainsbury's expects to deliver underlying operating profits of between £975 million and £1.075 billion for the current financial year.
Sainsbury's chief executive Simon Roberts said shoppers have become "even more focused on the cost of living" since the conflict started on February 28, but pledged to deliver "the best possible value" in stores. He stated: "More and more customers are choosing Sainsbury's for more of their shopping, trusting us to deliver great value day in, day out. The conflict in the Middle East means customers are even more focused on the cost of living and we are absolutely committed to making sure everyone gets the best possible value when they shop with us."
Roberts added: "We will do everything we can to support our customers and colleagues over the coming months, with absolute focus on keeping prices low. We have made a positive start to the new financial year, with continued strong Grocery momentum."
Last week, Tesco also said that profits could dip over the current year as it flagged increased uncertainty from the Middle East conflict. Ken Murphy, chief executive of Tesco, said the supermarket will do "whatever we can" to keep down the price of food for shoppers.
