Tesco has confirmed that its Express stores across England will maintain regular operating hours on Sunday, July 19, following England's elimination from the World Cup. The supermarket had previously announced plans to close Express stores at 7:30pm if the England football team advanced to the final, which was scheduled to kick off at 8:00pm.
Planned Early Closure for World Cup Final
The major UK supermarket chain had prepared for a potential early closure to allow employees to watch the match. A Tesco spokesperson stated: "If the England football team reaches the World Cup final, Tesco will close its Express stores across England at 7.30pm, instead of the usual 10.00pm or 11.00pm, to allow colleagues to watch the match which kicks off at 8.00pm." The early closure would have applied only to Express stores, while larger stores in England were already scheduled to be closed by match time on Sunday.
Staff would have been paid for the hours they did not work despite the early closure. The company emphasized that thousands of colleagues would have had time to get home or to a pub for kick-off while still receiving normal pay.
England's Defeat Cancels Early Closure
After a last-minute 2-1 victory by Argentina ended England's World Cup run, Tesco confirmed that stores would revert to standard hours. A spokesperson said: "If England doesn’t reach the final, stores will open and close at their normal times. Stores in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland will continue to remain open in line with their usual hours." Express stores will now remain open until 10pm or 11pm as usual.
During the day, Express stores operated normally, allowing fans to stock up on pre-match supplies. Tesco also noted that customers needing last-minute essentials could still place orders via Whoosh until 11:00pm, and all online grocery home shopping orders for Sunday evening were honored and delivered as usual.
The update follows England's heartbreaking defeat, which dashed hopes of a World Cup final appearance. Tesco's contingency plan, which included early closures and paid time off for staff, was ultimately not needed.
