Are shops open on Boxing Day in Tier 4?

FOR many of us, the Boxing Day sales are a great excuse to pick up some bargains after Christmas.

But the Coronavirus pandemic means that many areas are facing harsh Tier 4 restrictions, with non-essential shops forced to close.

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Make sure you know the rules in your area before hitting the Boxing Day salesCredit: Getty Images – Getty

And the Sun has learnt that several more regions across the UK may be plunged into Tier 4 from Boxing Day itself, with an announcement expected later today.

This means that which shops are open will depend on the Tier rules where you are, as well as individual retailers’ Boxing Day plans. Here’s everything you need to know:

Which shops are allowed to open in Tier 4 on Boxing Day?

In Tier 4, some essential shops are allowed to stay open. The latest government advice states that this includes:

Supermarkets
Pharmacies
Garden centres and Christmas tree retailers
Building merchants and suppliers of building products and off-licences
Market stalls selling essential retail
Businesses providing repair services but only if they primarily offer repair services
Petrol stations
Automatic (but not manual) car washes
Vehicle repair and MOT services
Bicycle shops
Taxi and vehicle hire businesses
Banks and building societies
Post offices
Short-term loan providers and money transfer businesses
Funeral directors
Laundrettes and dry cleaners
Medical and dental services
Vets and pet shops
Animal rescue centres, boarding facilities, and animal groomers
Agricultural supplies shops
Mobility and disability support shops
Storage and distribution facilities
Car parks
Public toilets
Motorway service areas
Outdoor playgrounds
Outdoor gyms, pools, sports courts and facilities
Golf courses
Archery/driving/shooting ranges (outdoors)
Outdoor riding centres

Which areas are currently in Tier 4

Kent
Buckinghamshire
Berkshire
Surrey (excluding Waverley)
The boroughs of Gosport, Havant, Portsmouth, Rother and Hastings
All 32 London boroughs and the city of London.
Bedford, Central Bedfordshire, Milton Keynes, Luton, Peterborough
Hertfordshire
Essex (excluding Colchester, Uttlesford and Tendring).

Of course, just because the rules say that a business or shop can stay open, this doesn’t mean that they will choose to on Boxing Day.

For instance, Aldi will keep its stores shut on Boxing Day, just like it has done in previous years.

Other shops that have confirmed they will be close include Asda, Home Bargains. Marks and Spencer, Pets at Home, Poundland, The Entertainer, Wickes and Sainsbury’s.

Lidl stores outside of the M25 will be shut on December 26, but those inside the London ring-road will open from 10am until 7pm.

The majority of Waitrose stores remain shut on Boxing Day, except for at Welcome Break and Shell motorway service stations.

Morrisons will keep its stores open on Boxing Day, but it will be voluntary for staff to work.

Most Sainsbury’s stores will be open from 10am to 5pm and Tesco will also be running reduced hours on December 26.

Which shops and businesses have to close on Boxing Day in Tier 4?

Under the stringent Tier 4 restrictions, many retailers have to close including clothes and homeware shops.

Hairdressers, gyms, bars and nail salons also must all shut their doors under the rules.

The list of businesses that are closed under Tier 4 restrictions are:

Non-essential shops
Hairdressers
Nail salons
Barbers
Tattoo and piercing shops
Beauty salons
Tanning salons
Gyms
Leisure centres
Betting shops
Vehicle showrooms (except for rentals)
Tailors
Tobacco and vape shops
Market stalls selling non-essential goods
Community centres (except for providing education and training)
Bars, pubs, cafes and restaurants are closed except for takeaway and delivery
Hotels, guest houses and B&Bs are closed
Indoor play centres and areas, including inflatable parks and soft play centres and areas (other than for people who have a disability)
Trampolining parks (other than for elite athletes, people with a disability, supervised activities for children and for formal education or training purposes)
Casinos
Bingo halls
Bowling alleys
Indoor skating rinks (other than for elite athletes, professional dancers and choreographers, people with a disability, supervised activities for children and for formal education or training purposes)
Amusement arcades and adult gaming centres
Nightclubs and adult entertainment venues
Laser quests and escape rooms
Cinemas, theatres concert halls – other than drive-in events, broadcasting performances, training or rehearsal
Circuses
Snooker and pool halls (other than for elite athletes)
Zoos, safari parks, and aquariums
Other animal attractions including farms
Water parks and aqua parks
Model villages
Museums, galleries and sculpture parks
Botanical or other gardens, biomes or greenhouses
Theme parks, fairgrounds and funfairs
Adventure playgrounds and parks, including ziplining
Visitor attractions at film studios,
Heritage sites such as castles, stately homes or heritage railways
Landmarks including observation wheels and viewing platforms

Can I still take advantage of the Boxing Day sales online?

Even though the shops may be shut, that doesn’t mean you can’t get a Boxing Day bargain online.

In fact, some retailers are so keen that they’ve launched their sales early before we’ve even had Christmas Day.

John Lewis, Next and Amazon all have offers available with discounts as big as 83% off.

To make sure you get a bargain in any sales – follow our five simple rules:

Research items you want to find out the cheapest price. Websites like PriceSpy, PriceHistory and CamelCamelCamel will give you historical data so you can see how much you should pay.
Follow your favourite shops on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and sign up to deals newsletter to get the latest on any offers. We post the best deals in our Sun Money FB group too.
Check cashback websites like Quidco and TopCashback before you place your order. These websites actually pay you to shop. All you have to do is click through their links and the money is added to your online account, usually within 14 days.
Check for codes. Take a look at The Sun Vouchers, and see if you can get extra savings with discount codes.