Major retailer Marks and Spencer (M&S) has declared that it will close 229 of its outlets in England during the 24 hours of Easter Sunday due to the temporary closure of its stores, which will impact thousands of shoppers who will be looking to make last-minute holiday buys.
The shift will involve a complete shutdown of all full-line M&S stores on Easter Sunday, in accordance with the UK trading laws and as a way of allowing the staff a well-deserved rest in the Bank Holiday weekend.
The retailer states that it is the larger stores in England which will be mostly affected by the shutdown, and that all branches in Scotland will remain open as usual. This implies that the customers will continue making fewer choices on necessary shopping during that day, but the full-range stores will not be available.
The shift will involve a complete shutdown of all full-line M&S stores on Easter Sunday, in accordance with the UK trading laws and as a way of allowing the staff a well-deserved rest in the Bank Holiday weekend.
The retailer states that its larger stores in England, which will be mostly affected by the shutdown, and that all branches in Scotland will remain open as usual. This implies that the customers will continue making fewer choices on necessary shopping during that day, but the full-range stores will not be available.
The shutdown is in compliance with the traditionally established UK laws that demand that large stores exceeding 280 square metres in England and Wales close on Easter Sunday and one Christmas Day. Most of the big supermarkets have rules to observe during the Easter period, and thus, they shut down their stores in large numbers throughout the retail industry.
M&S ensured that the stores would be open in case of Good Friday and Easter Saturday, giving people some time to organise the holiday. The stores will also be open on Easter Monday, but not all the stores will share the same time. The company is encouraging customers to verify the availability of their local stores on the company site or app and is trying to avoid inconvenience.
The company opined that it is not merely a matter of legal compliance, but also of favouring the welfare of staff. This will allow employees to have a day off and enjoy time with family, and celebrate Easter, which is becoming a priority for big box stores.
According to the retail specialists, the use of such closures has become a norm in the UK, with supermarkets shuffling the schedules around to accommodate the public holiday periods to align the level of customer demand with operational and legal considerations.
Shoppers are currently being discourage to do the shopping early to ensure that they will get ahead of the Easter shopping as disruptions to the shopping have been caused. There will be high demand of popular seasonal items such as Easter treats and festive foods during the days prior to the closure.
As millions of people in the UK are set to enjoy Easter over the next few days, the temporary closure of 229 M&S stores reflects a broader pattern of reduced retail activity around major public holidays, necessitating consumer planning.
