Are shops open on Easter Sunday in the UK?
Large shops in England and Wales are not allowed to open on Easter Sunday. Smaller shops, garden centres, restaurants and pubs may trade, and rules differ in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
The legal position
Under the Sunday Trading Act 1994, shops in England and Wales with a floor area greater than 280 square metres may not trade on Easter Sunday. This is one of only two Sundays in the year (the other being Christmas Day when it falls on a Sunday) when large-store Sunday trading is banned outright — every other Sunday they are merely limited to six hours.
The 280m² threshold catches:
- All major supermarket branches (Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda, Morrisons, Aldi, Lidl, Waitrose)
- Most John Lewis, M&S, B&Q, Currys, Argos
- Almost every department store and large high-street unit
Smaller shops — convenience stores, off-licences, pharmacies, corner shops and most petrol forecourts — are not affected and may open at normal Sunday hours.
Garden centres on Easter Sunday
Garden centres are a notable exception. Although they vary in size, most fall under or skirt the threshold, and many open and report Easter Sunday as one of their busiest days of the year. If you need plants, mulch or weekend gardening supplies, the garden centre is your best bet.
Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland has no Sunday trading restrictions. Large shops may open all day on Easter Sunday. In practice many do open, with some honouring Easter Sunday with reduced hours or closure as a matter of company policy rather than law.
Northern Ireland has size-based Sunday trading restrictions broadly similar to England and Wales — most large shops are closed on Easter Sunday.
Pubs, restaurants and entertainment
There are no restrictions on hospitality on Easter Sunday. Pubs, restaurants, cinemas, theatres and attractions trade as normal — often as their busiest spring weekend of the year.
Easter Sunday itself is not a bank holiday — see why. The surrounding bank holidays are Good Friday and Easter Monday.