Retail giant Home Bargains has issued a closure notice about all of its shops.
It has made a decision that will affect all 500 of its stores in the UK, including the several operating in the North East.
Home Bargains is to close all its stores on Boxing Day and New Year’s Day to thank staff for their hard work.
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The discounter has also confirmed it will be shutting shops at the earlier time of 5pm on Christmas Eve.
Home Bargains stores typically shut around 8pm during the week and on Saturdays, while Sunday hours are usually until 4pm.
The company said it wants to give workers more time to spend with family and friends over the Christmas season this year, reports the Mirror.
It isn't the first time Home Bargains has kept its doors shut on Boxing Day, having also given staff the day off in 2019 and 2020.
Home Bargains has more than 500 stores and employs more than 22,000 staff in the UK.
A spokesperson said: “We recognise how incredibly hard all of our colleagues have worked over the last year, to continue to serve the local communities that rely on them so much.
In light of this, we felt it was only right to reward store teams by taking the decision to close all of our stores on Boxing Day and New Year’s Day, and also close stores early at 5pm on Christmas Eve.
“As a family-run business we know the importance of being together at Christmas with those we care about most, now more than ever, and this is our way of saying thank you to all of our colleagues for their continued hard work and dedication.”
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