Sainsbury's set to close 500 stores for 24 hours and is 'required by law'
The retailer - which is rivalled by Asda, Morrisons, Aldi, Lidl and Tesco - is closing all of its supermarkets in England, Wales and Northern Ireland on Easter Sunday.
Sainsbury’s has confirmed it will shut over 500 locations for 24 hours in just weeks. The retailer - which is rivalled by Asda, Morrisons, Aldi, Lidl and Tesco - is closing all of its supermarkets in England, Wales and Northern Ireland on Easter Sunday.
Larger supermarkets in England and Wales have no choice in the matter, as they are required by law to close on Easter Sunday and Christmas Day.
A spokesperson for Sainsbury's said: "The vast majority of our supermarkets will be open from 7am until 10pm on Good Friday and Easter Saturday. Our convenience stores will be open as usual from 7am to 10pm.
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"On Easter Sunday, all of our supermarkets will be closed in the UK, apart from in Scotland where stores will open in line with Sunday trading hours. Our convenience stores will be open as usual from 7am to 10pm.
"On Easter bank holiday Monday, the vast majority of our supermarkets will be open between 8am and 8pm. Our convenience stores will be open as usual from 7am to 10pm.
"Opening hours can vary though, so we advise customers to check our store locator for the latest details for their area: https://stores.sainsburys.co.uk/."
It comes as Sainsbury’s is set to revolutionise its logistics by transforming food waste into fuel for a number of its HGV trucks. The pioneering initiative will see biofuel produced directly from Sainsbury's food waste power 30 trucks at its Emerald Park distribution centre in Bristol, half the site’s fleet. This will save over 3,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide annually, equivalent to the yearly electricity consumption of 1,950 households.
Patrick Dunne, Sainsbury’s Chief Property and Procurement Officer, commented: “Today’s announcement underscores the power that collaboration has in driving impactful change across business.
"We are proud to have worked closely with our supplier RenECO to deliver a pioneering move that supports our commitment to circularity and helps us to take a further step towards becoming net zero across our operations by 2035.”