Aldi has confirmed that all of its 1,050 stores will close for three days during the festive period this year to give their staff a well-deserved break.
With the best of summer already behind us, retailers will now be planning ahead for the Christmas period and making sure everything is prepared for the festive rush.
In line with its store policy over the last few years, bosses have decided to keep Aldi stores closed on Boxing Day this year so that workers can enjoy some more time with their families.
It means that the supermarket chain will be closed nationwide from December 25 to December 27. The stores will also be closed on New Year’s Day, before returning to regular shopping hours from January 2.
Instead of joining in the Boxing Day sales and putting up with shopping chaos, Aldi staff can instead put their feet up and have an extra day at home.
Speaking about the news, Rebecca Heley, communications director at Aldi UK, said: “Christmas is a special time, and we want to ensure all of our colleagues have the opportunity to relax and enjoy it with their loved ones.
“That’s why all Aldi stores will be closed on Boxing Day this year.”
She added: “We know how hard colleagues work to deliver an amazing Christmas for our customers, and this is one small way of saying thank you.”
The news will likely be warmly welcomed by Aldi’s hard-working shop floor teams, who often work until at least 9pm on a standard day as they help shoppers buy their goods.
It’s also understood that Aldi will have different opening hours across the festive period, allowing shoppers to stock up on all their Christmas goods in time.
According to reports, Aldi isn’t the only store that’s skilling Boxing Day opening hours this year, with other shops such as Home Bargains also following suit.
“All of our stores will be closing for Boxing Day & New Year's Day. We would like to thank all our colleagues for how hard you have worked this past year, and want you to relax and enjoy the Christmas break with your loved ones,” read the retailer’s announement.
Traditionally, Boxing Day was observed as a festive holiday where people would give gifts to the poor. In more modern times, it’s seen as a day of massive discounts and picking up cheap sale items.
Those trends have shifted even further in recent years, with people preferring to buy things on Black Friday in November, while opting for online shopping discounts as well.
