Sainsbury’s (SBRY.L) convenience stores and Tesco’s (TSCO.L) Express stores in England will close early on Sunday to allow employees to watch the Euro 2024 final, following England’s triumph over the Netherlands in the semi-final.
Tesco, the UK’s largest supermarket chain, revealed that more than 1,800 Express stores will shut at 7:30pm, rather than the usual 10pm or 11pm.
Over a thousand of Sainsbury’s convenience stores and petrol filling stations across England will be closing at the earlier time of 7.30pm on Sunday. Usually opening hours vary, although they tend to open until 10pm or 11pm.
This decision will allow thousands of employees to either head home or join friends at local pubs to witness the Three Lions face-off against Spain in Berlin. The match is scheduled for 8pm on Sunday, marking a significant moment as the England men’s team vies for its first major tournament victory since the 1966 World Cup.
Tesco has assured its staff that they will receive their regular pay for the hours lost due to the early closure. Employees who choose not to watch the match will also be compensated as usual. The retailer’s larger stores in England, which typically close earlier on Sundays, will not be affected by this change and will reopen the following morning at their regular hours, typically between 6am and 7am.
Kevin Tindall, managing director of UK stores at Tesco, said ahead of the semi-finals: “We appreciate just how much this would mean to so many of our colleagues and we want them to be able to celebrate with their family and friends.
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“So, if we make it through to the final, we will close our stores across England in time for them to get behind Gareth Southgate and the team and we’ll all be hoping that football will be coming home.”
Supermarket hours in England are unaffected as they usually close ahead of the 8pm kick-off. Any groceries online orders that have already been booked for after this time will be honoured.
Clodagh Moriarty, Sainsbury’s chief retail and technology officer said, “We want to give our colleagues the chance to tune in live and cheer on England with friends and family. The atmosphere in stores is electric after last night’s win and everyone is working hard across the business to make sure our customers can find everything they may want for the match – whether that’s our half price stone baked pizzas, some of dips which are down to £1 or our by Sainsbury’s Strawberries at just £2.”
All branches will reopen at their usual time on Monday.
Both retailers reassured customers that their stores would remain open as usual during the day on Sunday, allowing ample time for pre-match shopping. Additionally, all online orders scheduled for Sunday evening will be fulfilled as planned. Stores in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland will continue to operate according to their regular hours.
Lidl has announced that all its stores in England will open later than usual the following day, regardless of the match outcome.
Ryan McDonnell, CEO of Lidl GB, said: “We know how much this game means to England fans and we want to ensure that our colleagues have the chance to celebrate such a significant moment in English football history. We couldn’t achieve our goals without our colleagues, so in recognition of their hard work and dedication, this move will allow them to join in the excitement and show support for the England team, and we wish them the best of luck for the big game.”
England’s upcoming match against Spain comes after a thrilling semi-final where substitute Ollie Watkins scored a last-minute goal, sealing their place in the final. The country now eagerly anticipates the possibility of celebrating a historic victory in Berlin.
Yahoo Finance UK has reached out to other retailers to see what they will do on Sunday.
Morrisons has said that it is business as usual for now, while Aldi stores will be closed ahead of the match in line with normal Sunday trading.
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