Aldi has confirmed that all its UK stores will close for three days over the Christmas and New Year period, while the supermarket prepares to cut up to 150 head office jobs. The announcements come as the discount retailer continues restructuring its operations and expanding its store network.
The closures will take place on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day, with extended opening hours scheduled in the days leading up to Christmas. Meanwhile, the proposed redundancies form part of a wider reorganisation affecting administrative and technology roles, although shop-floor positions are not expected to be affected.
Aldi Confirms Christmas Closures and Extended Shopping Hours
Aldi will close all its UK branches on 25 and 26 December 2026, reopening on Sunday 27 December. Stores will close again on 1 January 2027 before returning to normal operating hours on Saturday 2 January, according to the Express,co.uk.
In preparation for Christmas, branches in England and Wales will open from 7am until 10pm between Monday 21 December and Wednesday 23 December. Scottish stores will operate from 8am until 10pm over the same period.
On Christmas Eve, stores will open at their usual festive starting times but close at 6pm across the UK. When branches reopen on 27 December, operating hours will run from 9.30am until 4pm.
Between 28 and 30 December, stores will operate from 8am until 8pm, followed by reduced hours of 8am to 6pm on New Year’s Eve. Rachel Geary, Aldi UK’s communications director, explained that the extended opening hours were intended to accommodate customers completing their Christmas shopping.
“No matter how organised you are for Christmas, there always seems to be something left on the shopping list,” she said.
Geary also confirmed that closing stores on Boxing Day would allow employees to spend time with their families during the festive period.
Head Office Restructuring Continues Alongside Store Expansion
The festive announcement follows separate reports that Aldi is considering further reductions to its UK head office workforce.
According to The Independent, the supermarket is consulting employees in its technology department over proposals to eliminate up to 150 positions.
The proposed changes follow approximately 103 redundancies in finance and administration earlier this year, alongside the removal of almost 20 buying director roles.
The restructuring is not expected to affect jobs in stores. Aldi has reportedly been transferring certain administrative and financial functions to lower-cost providers in eastern Europe and India.
An Aldi spokesperson said the company regularly reviews its international operations to simplify its structure and improve efficiency. “Any changes are being introduced gradually and following a consultation period,” the spokesperson said, adding that affected employees would receive notice and support.
The workforce reductions coincide with continued investment in physical stores. Aldi announced a £900 million investment in new shops and distribution centres last month, with plans to expand its UK network from 1,092 to 1,500 locations.
The retailer also intends to open 24 shops before Christmas, while relocating three existing branches in Sudbury, Sutton Coldfield and Wigan. Aldi currently holds an estimated 10.6 per cent share of the UK grocery market and has been named the country’s cheapest supermarket for seven consecutive months in Which?’s monthly grocery comparisons.
