Home Bargains will close all 617 UK stores on Boxing Day 2026, leaving shoppers unable to visit the discount retailer on one of Britain’s best-known post-Christmas shopping dates.
The nationwide shutdown is part of a three-date festive break covering Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day. It is temporary and does not mean Home Bargains is permanently closing its 617-store network.
Closure dates at a glance
- December 25, 2026: All stores closed
- December 26, 2026: All stores closed
- January 1, 2027: All stores closed
- Stores affected: 617 across the UK
- Permanent closures: No
When will Home Bargains close over Christmas?
Home Bargains stores will shut on Friday, December 25, Saturday, December 26 and Friday, January 1. These are three closure dates rather than one continuous shutdown: stores may trade between Boxing Day and New Year’s Day according to their festive schedules.
Home Bargains has not yet confirmed a complete nationwide timetable for Christmas Eve, December 27, New Year’s Eve or January 2. Customers should check the official Home Bargains store locator before travelling because individual branch hours can vary over the festive period.
Why is Home Bargains closing on Boxing Day?
Boxing Day is the standout date because December 26 has traditionally been associated with major UK post-Christmas sales. Customers often use it for discounted seasonal products, returns and purchases using Christmas money or gift cards.
Home Bargains followed the same closure approach previously. The family-run retailer said at the time that its colleagues work hard throughout the year and that the additional time off allows staff to spend more of the festive period with family and friends.
The decision therefore differs from store closures caused by restructuring or financial pressure. For comparison, changes involving Poundland stores and jobs in 2026 have raised separate questions about the future of individual discount-retail locations.
Which 33 North East stores are affected?
The UK-wide closure includes 33 Home Bargains branches across County Durham, Darlington, Teesside, Tyne and Wear and Northumberland.
Affected locations include Barnard Castle, Bishop Auckland, Blaydon-on-Tyne, Consett, Darlington, Durham, Gateshead, Jarrow, Killingworth, Morpeth, North Shields, Redcar, Seaham, South Shields, Spennymoor, Stanley, Stockton-on-Tees, Thornaby, Wallsend, Whitley Bay, Ashington and Berwick-upon-Tweed.
There are also two listed Cramlington stores, two Hartlepool stores, three Middlesbrough locations, two Newcastle-area branches and two Sunderland stores, bringing the North East total to 33.
The North East list is only a regional breakdown. The announcement applies to all 617 UK stores, so customers elsewhere should also expect their local Home Bargains to be closed on the three confirmed dates.
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What shoppers should know before Christmas
Anyone relying on Home Bargains for last-minute food, toiletries, cleaning supplies, batteries, toys, decorations, gifts or household essentials should finish urgent shopping before Christmas Day rather than planning a Boxing Day visit.
Customers should also avoid assuming normal hours will return immediately after December 26. Festive schedules can differ between branches, making a last-minute opening-hours check useful before travelling.
The closures come as households are also planning wider winter spending. Changes such as the Ofgem energy price cap for October 2026 could be another consideration for consumers managing household budgets during the colder months.
Home Bargains is still expanding
The three-day festive policy should not be confused with a permanent downsizing programme. Home Bargains is operated by TJ Morris Limited, the family-owned business founded in Liverpool in 1976, and employs around 28,000 people.
The retailer sells food, branded household products, beauty items, toys, furniture, garden goods and seasonal merchandise and continues to expand its UK presence.
A new Home Bargains store in Truro, occupying a former Homebase site, is reported to be scheduled to open on November 28, 2026 â less than a month before Christmas.
For shoppers, the most important change is Boxing Day itself: despite being a major retail date, Home Bargains’ 617 UK stores will remain closed on December 26, with customers advised to check their local branch for opening hours on surrounding festive dates.
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