Bargain retailer B&M has confirmed it will shut hundreds of stores across England, Wales and Northern Ireland next month to mark Easter Sunday. The chain will close the majority of its sites across the UK on Sunday, April 5, with the exception of Scotland, where trading is expected to continue as normal. Branches in England, Wales and Northern Ireland will be shut for the duration of Easter Sunday, but be open as normal for the rest of the Bank Holiday weekend.
All B&M stores will operate as usual on Good Friday, April 3, and Easter Monday, April 6, a spokesperson confirmed. Shops in England and Wales that exceed 280 square meters are legally required to shut on Easter Monday and Christmas Day, meaning retailers can unpredictably shift their opening hours or close completely during Bank Holidays.
The Sunday Trading Act 1994 limits opening hours for large shops in England and Wales on the two significant holidays, but does not cover Scotland.
Customers unsure about whether their local B&M will be open can double check by using the store locator tool on the retailer’s website, or via the store locator tool on its mobile app.
B&M, which was founded in 1978 and has gone on to be one of the UK’s leading discount shops, operates over 700 stores and employs over 35,000 staff across the country.
A B&M spokesperson said: “England, Wales and Northern Ireland stores will be closed on Easter Sunday. Stores in Scotland will be trading as normal and operating their usual hours.”
Under the Trading Act, Tesco can still operate its smaller Express stores on Easter Sunday, however, with shoppers urged to check the opening hours of their local supermarket using an online store locator.