Tesco and M&S to close stores for Queen’s funeral bank holiday

TESCO and Marks and Spencer have both confirmed they’ll be closing the majority of their stores next Monday for the Queen’s funeral.

Tesco said its large stores will be closed all day while its Express stores will stay closed until 5pm so colleagues can pay their respects.

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Meanwhile, M&S said it will close all its stores and customer delivery services won’t be running.

It comes after a number of other retailers said they will shut up shop on September 19, including Primark, Poundland and Sainsbury’s.

Aldi also confirmed all its stores will close on the Bank Holiday Monday.

However, it appears smaller convenience stores will remain open, in part to ensure the thousands of people expected to gather to watch the funeral can buy essential food and drink on the day.

Jason Tarry, Tesco UK chief executive officer, said: “We want to express our deepest condolences to the Royal Family, as well as our gratitude to Her Majesty The Queen for her unwavering service.

“On Monday 19th September, in order for our colleagues to pay their respects, our large stores will be closed all day and our Express stores will remain closed until 5pm.”

Meanwhile, Stuart Machin, chief executive officer of Marks and Spencer, said: “All of us at M&S – and indeed across the country and beyond – feel a real and deep sense of loss and sadness at the passing of Her Majesty, as well as huge respect for the grace with which His Majesty King Charles III and the wider Royal Family have led the nation in our mourning. 

“It is right that we make changes to our operational arrangements on the day of the funeral to ensure our colleagues across our stores and distribution network can participate, whilst supporting customers as they show their respects too.”

The Queen’s funeral will take place at Westminster Abbey from 11am on Monday.

King Charles gave his approval to make the day a bank holiday so members of the public can pay their respects to the UK’s longest reigning monarch.

The day after the Queen died, department stores Selfridges and Liberty both closed their doors.

French Connection, which runs 26 shops across the UK, also closed its stores.

Can you take the day off work next Monday?

New government guidance says each employer should make their own decision on whether or not staff are given the day off next Monday.

That’s because despite the fact the day has been approved as a bank holiday, there’s no legal requirement for employers to give staff the day off.

However, the advice also says: “We would expect that many workers will be able to take the day off on the bank holiday.

“We also expect employers to respond sensitively to requests from workers who wish to take the day of the funeral off work.”

Schools will be closed next Monday and that means some parents might have to organise childcare arrangements.

If you want to know what you can do if your child is off school and you need to take the day off, you can read our guide.

If you’re working and wondering whether you’ll be entitled to double pay, we explain that here.