Why it matters for SMEs
This Christmas, several major supermarkets have confirmed they’re pulling back on festive trading in a noticeable way.
Chains including Aldi and Lidl have said they will close on both Christmas Day and Boxing Day. Others, including Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Asda, are closing on Christmas Day as usual but trading more cautiously around Boxing Day and the days that follow, often with reduced hours or fewer large stores open.
That marks a shift from recent years, when Boxing Day trading was treated as non-negotiable. Rising staffing costs, patchy footfall and a stronger focus on staff wellbeing have all been cited as reasons for the change this year.
What's different this year
Boxing Day used to be positioned as a guaranteed win. Doors open, customers flood in sales follow. But in recent years, that certainty has faded. Boxing Day has become almost as much of a holiday as Christmas Day itself, with people seemingly stocked up and less keen to shop for food the day after Christmas. For supermarkets with deep data and tight margins, it looks like opening the doors doesn’t always make financial sense.
Why this is relevant
When the biggest players slow down, customer behaviour shifts. Fewer people automatically head out on Boxing Day. Some stay home. Some shop online. Others look local if something nearby is open.
For small retailers, cafés and service businesses, this can create opportunity or risk depending on how deliberate you are. If you’re open, you may catch trade that would usually be swallowed by the big chains. If you’re closed, customers are less likely to feel short-changed, given that household names are closed too. Either way, the old assumption that you must trade because everyone else is has weakened.
A useful prompt for decision making
The bigger lesson here isn’t about supermarkets. It’s about questioning habits. If a day costs more in wages, energy, and stress than it brings in, tradition isn’t a great reason to keep it going. Big retailers are clearly re-running that maths. Small businesses can do the same. Look at your own numbers. Look at footfall, sales, and team fatigue, not just what you’ve always done.
The takeaway
This Christmas feels slightly different because it is. When major supermarkets step back from all-out festive trading, it’s a sign that patterns are shifting again. For SMEs, the smart move is to be intentional about when you open, when you close and why.
