Bank holiday Monday opening times: When does Tesco, Sainsburys, Asda and Morrisons open?
MOST Britons will enjoy an extra day off today thanks to the Bank Holiday Monday - but if you plan to pop to the shops, what time will the major supermarkets be open?
UK Weather: Temperatures to rise for Bank Holiday Monday
Bank Holiday Monday promises to be full of sunny spells - and scattered showers - after the heavy rain yesterday.
With August 27 being the last bank holiday until Christmas - except for Scotland which celebrates St Andrew’s Day on November 30 - this may be your last chance to break out the bbq.
The good news is the major retailers will be open although they may not be operating normal hours.
Regular opening hours on Sundays were observed but what about on Monday?
Tesco
Tesco is planning on keeping most of its supermarkets open, with larger stores opening their doors between 9am and 6pm.
Express and Metro stores tend to operate outside of these hours and many of them open at 8am.
As individual stores might vary, check your local store where you live first by typing in your postcode to Tesco’s store locater.
Asda
Many Asda supermarkets will be operating reduced hours on the Bank Holiday Monday.
Regional variations will occur so check with your local store first here
Sainsbury’s
Sainsbury’s does not have standard opening hours across all its stores in England and Wales but most will be open from 7am to 11pm.
But to make sure you are not caught out, use the Sainsbury’s store locater to check here first.
Morrisons
Times will vary somewhat for Morrisons stores but the majority in England and Wales will be open from 8am to 10pm.
Check here before you leave home.
Why do we have bank holidays?
Bank holidays are intended to give employees a well-deserved rest from work during key times of the year.
The name originates from banks which closed their doors for the day, although nowadays many schools also shut while restricted services run on public transport.
Initially four days were introduced in England and Wales under the Bank Holidays Act 1871 - with five in Scotland.
Now, there are eight bank holidays a year in England and Wales, nine in Scotland and 10 in Northern Ireland.