International Staff

The website for international staff moving to UK universities

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Supermarkets and shops

 

Shopping is the number one pastime in the UK and accounts for around 37% of all money spent in England.  Peak shopping days are Saturdays and Sundays although most retail shops are generally open six or seven days a week.

General opening times 

General opening times are Mondays - Saturdays 09:00 to 17:30 and Sundays 10:00 to 16:00 (or 11:00 to 17:00).  Some shopping centres out of town stay open until 20:00 or later.  Shops are also generally open on Bank Holidays.

Many supermarkets and superstores open from 08:00 until 22:00 Monday to Saturday and 10:00 to 16:00 (or 11:00 to 17:00) on Sundays.  Large supermarkets are permitted to open for 24 hours except for Sundays and most supermarkets are open on public holidays and Bank Holidays

Most city centre banks now open Monday to Saturdays but do not open on Bank Holidays.

Christmas opening times 

Over the Christmas and New Year period, many shops are closed on Christmas Day (December 25) and some shops are closed on New Year's Day (January 1). However, an increasing number of shops are now opening on Boxing Day (December 26), which is when many start their 'New Year' sales.

Easter opening times 

It is likely that most shopping centres will be closed on Easter Sunday and there will be reduced shopping hours on Easter Monday (often from either 10:00 or 11:00).