With Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve both falling on a Sunday this year, most supermarkets – even those that are traditionally always closed on the last day of the week – will keep their doors open to last-minute shoppers.
The days leading up to Christmas and New Year are peak times for supermarkets. Consequently, most chains plan to stay open on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve, both for public convenience and to maximise revenue. This is particularly noteworthy on Sunday 24 December – the day when Belgians typically hold their main Christmas celebrations.
Staying open this day will be a first for discount supermarket Aldi, which will keep the majority of its stores open from 08:30 to 13:00. However, its discount competitor Lidl has chosen not to open on these Sundays as it expects that most large purchases will be made longer before the festivities.
Belgian supermarket chain Colruyt also intends to open on both Sundays from 08:30 to 13:00. Its Collect&Go services and Okay stores will also operate during these hours.
Lidl is the only supermarket chain in Belgium that will not be open on both Sundays. Credit: Belga / Siska Gremmelprez
Colruyt-owned Bio-Planet shops will open from 09:00 to 13:00 while its Cru stores will be open from 08:00 to 17:00 on Sunday 24 and 31 December. Most Spar stores, also part of the Colruyt Group, are already typically open on Sundays, though hours may vary.
Delhaize plans to open its doors. Both the company-owned stores and the majority of the independent stores will be open from 09:00 to 14:00 on these festive Sundays. At Albert Heijn, company-owned stores will stick to their regular Sunday opening hours, while franchise stores’ schedules may vary.
Finally, Carrefour’s integrated stores (the hypermarkets) will be open from 08:00 to 16:00 on 24 December and from 08:00 to 17:00 on 31 December.
Nearly all Carrefour Express and Carrefour Market stores operated by franchise partners will be open on both festive Sundays, with opening times varying per store. On average, Carrefour Market stores tend to stay open until at least 17:00, while Carrefour Express stores usually remain open until at least 19:00.
