Easter weekend in the UK means one thing for many households: a last-minute dash to the supermarket before the bank holiday closures kick in. Whether you’re stocking up for a family gathering or realising you’ve run out of something essential on Easter Sunday, knowing which shops are open — and when — can save you a wasted journey.
When Are the UK Bank Holidays in Easter 2026?
Easter 2026 falls with Good Friday on 3 April and Easter Monday on 6 April, giving most people in England, Wales and Northern Ireland a four-day long weekend. In Scotland, only Good Friday is a bank holiday — Easter Monday is not a national holiday there, though many businesses still observe it.
Easter Sunday Trading Laws
One key thing to know: in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, large shops over 280 square metres are legally required to close on Easter Sunday. This is a longstanding restriction that applies regardless of which chain it is. Small shops, petrol station forecourts, pharmacies, and shops inside airports and major railway stations are exempt from this rule and may open as normal.
Scotland has no equivalent restriction on Easter Sunday trading, meaning shops there can open as normal on that day.
Major Supermarkets: Opening Hours Guide
Most major supermarkets — including Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda, Morrisons, Aldi and Lidl — will operate reduced hours on Good Friday and Easter Monday, and will be closed or operating skeleton hours on Easter Sunday in England and Wales. Smaller express formats of these chains (Tesco Express, Sainsbury’s Local, Morrisons Daily, Asda Express) may operate as normal throughout the weekend, as they fall below the size threshold for Sunday trading restrictions.
M&S Food halls are typically open on Good Friday and Easter Monday with reduced hours, but closed on Easter Sunday. The Co-op, which operates a large number of smaller convenience stores, tends to remain open throughout the bank holiday period, though with adjusted hours. It is always worth checking the specific store locator on each supermarket’s website, as individual stores can vary.
DIY and Garden Centres
Easter is traditionally one of the biggest weekends of the year for garden centres and DIY stores, and most plan accordingly. B&Q and Homebase typically open on Good Friday and Easter Monday, though with reduced hours. Both chains, along with The Range and Dunelm, are closed on Easter Sunday in England and Wales under the trading restrictions. Garden centres, which are often smaller independent operations, frequently remain open throughout the weekend — check with your local centre directly.
Retail Chains
Primark, Next, H&M, Zara and most major clothing retailers will close on Easter Sunday in England and Wales but open on Good Friday and Easter Monday, often from 9am to 6pm or 7pm rather than standard hours. John Lewis and Waitrose are also typically closed on Easter Sunday and operate reduced hours across the rest of the bank holiday weekend.
Home Bargains and B&M follow similar patterns: closed Easter Sunday in England and Wales, open with shorter hours on Good Friday and Easter Monday. Their Scottish stores remain unaffected by the Sunday trading restriction.
Pharmacies and Medical Services
Most high street pharmacies — including Boots, LloydsPharmacy and independent chemists — will operate reduced hours over Easter. NHS England runs an enhanced service to ensure some pharmacies remain open across the bank holiday weekend in each area. If you need urgent medication, the NHS 111 service can direct you to the nearest open pharmacy, and many supermarket pharmacies will operate during the store’s opening hours.
Tips for Easter Weekend Shopping
The best advice is simple: do your main shop before Easter Sunday. Good Friday is busy but most large supermarkets are open, and Saturday tends to see the heaviest footfall as people panic-buy for the Sunday closure. If you can shop on Thursday evening or first thing Friday morning, you’ll avoid the worst of the queues.
For anything you might need on Easter Sunday itself, a local convenience store, petrol station, or small Co-op is your most reliable bet. Delivery slots from major supermarkets also tend to fill up quickly over bank holiday weekends, so if you rely on online grocery deliveries, book your slot as early as possible.
With Storm Dave bringing disruption to parts of the UK this Easter, it is also worth considering travel conditions before heading out on a longer journey to a retail park or out-of-town shopping centre.