Sainsbury's and Argos stores will be closed on the day of the Queen's funeral, it has been confirmed. The retailer will open smaller stores and petrol stations in the evening.
A Sainsbury’s spokesperson said: “We are deeply saddened by the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. In honour of Her Majesty and so our colleagues can pay their respects, all Sainsbury’s supermarkets and Argos stores will be closed on Monday, September 19.
"This includes Groceries Online and Argos Fast Track delivery. Our convenience stores and petrol filling stations will be open from 5pm to 10pm to allow our customers to pick up essential items, while select stores in central London will open to serve those attending the funeral in person. We thank our customers for their understanding.”
Argos is owned by Sainsbury's The announcement came shortly after supermarket Aldi confirmed what it planned to do.
It said: "As a mark of respect, all Aldi stores across the UK will close on Monday, September 19, to allow our store colleagues to pay tribute to Her Majesty the Queen."
Waitrose and Primark had earlier said that they will do the same, closing for the day. Waitrose will keep a handful of stores along the funeral route open to allow well-wishers to stock up on food and drinks for the day. All John Lewis stores will be closed.
The date of the Queen's state funeral has been confirmed as a bank holiday, meaning that banks and Post Office will be shut.
It has also been reported by The Sun that major supermarkets including Tesco, Asda and Morrisons are finalising their plans. It is likely that they will either close or reduce their hours, with it being thought that large stores could be shut between 10am and 2pm to allow both staff and customers to watch the funeral.
M&S is also finalising plans, but it is thought it will close all of its clothing-only stores for the day, while those that offer clothing and food will have reduced hours.
The Government has advised businesses that they may wish to close, but it is at their own discretion.
