The UK’s major supermarkets could soon be granted longer Sunday opening hours, as the government revisits the possibility of relaxing long-standing trading restrictions
12:24, 07 Sep 2025Updated 12:25, 07 Sep 2025
All of the UK’s leading supermarkets, including Tesco, Sainsbury’s, and Aldi, could soon be allowed to extend their Sunday opening hours
All of the UK’s leading supermarkets, including Tesco, Sainsbury’s, and Aldi, could soon be allowed to extend their Sunday opening hours. This comes as the government considers relaxing long-standing trading restrictions.
Although discussions are still in their early stages, Treasury insiders have hinted that longer Sunday trading hours are being considered as part of a broader effort to alleviate concerns over proposed increases in business rates for large retailers. This potential shake-up follows a meeting earlier this week between Chancellor Rachel Reeves and top executives from the UK’s biggest retailers.
During the meeting, supermarket chiefs warned the Chancellor that the proposed increase in business rates for properties valued over £500,000 could result in widespread store closures and job losses. Under legislation passed earlier this year, Reeves has the authority to raise the business rates multiplier by up to 10p for larger premises.
The aim is to use the extra revenue to provide relief to smaller shops and hospitality venues, but large retailers argue they are being unfairly targeted.
To mitigate the impact, ministers are now looking into ways to support larger businesses, one of which is the contentious idea of altering Sunday trading laws, reports the Express.
Currently, in England and Wales, large stores over 3,000 sq ft are only permitted to open for a maximum of six consecutive hours on Sundays, between 10am and 6pm.
Most supermarkets and large stores currently operate between 10am to 4pm or 11am to 5pm on Sundays.
An insider revealed to The Grocer: “The idea of looking again at Sunday trading hours has been raised by Treasury sources as part of a wider discussion over rates reform and measures that could help retailers, but at the moment there are no firm plans – it’s much more a case of people flying kites.
“We’ve been down this path at least three times before and each time we have seen a similar pattern of events and the same outcome.
“There will be some retailers who are strongly in favour of this and others opposed. Under the Conservatives perhaps the deciding factor for the plans not going ahead came from those in the party who wanted Sunday to be kept special. With Labour the big fly in the ointment is likely to be the unions.”