Grocery giant Tesco is set to open over 300 of its stores for 24 hours, with the remainder extending opening hours, from the middle of December until Christmas.

Retail Week understands that Tesco is set to open more than 300 of its largest-format stores for 24 hours a day from December 14 to Christmas Eve.

The remainder of the grocer’s store estate will operate extended trading hours between those dates, opening stores an hour early from 5am until 11pm. 

Tesco previously operated a number of both Superstore and Extra format stores around the clock, but has been reducing opening hours across its estate since 2016. 

Retail Week also understands that Morrisons will be looking to extend hours in the lead-up to Christmas with an announcement on the stores and date set to come. 

Tesco follows main rival Sainsbury’s, who Retail Week reported yesterday would be extending opening hours from 6am until midnight in “the vast majority” of its stores from December 21 to 23.

Aldi, M&S and Waitrose are all also extending trading hours, but big-four competitor Asda is not planning widescale changes to opening hours due to licensing restrictions in certain regions it operates in.

Non-essential retailers such as Primark, too, are looking at extending store opening hours from December 2 to maximise footfall in the three weeks before Christmas. 

A spokesman for the value fashion giant said: “We are currently reviewing our store opening times on a store-by-store basis. 

“Where possible, these will be extended to help us cater for the anticipated higher customer demand and reduce customer queues by spreading potential shopping hours over a longer period of time.”