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The supermarkets, shops and attractions which are all closing on Monday, September 19 for the Queen's State Funeral

Supermarkets, high street retailers and some top UK attractions have all announced they will close on Monday for the Queen's funeral.

With a bank holiday already declared for Monday, September 19 a growing number of companies are now telling shoppers, employees and visitors that the doors will remain shut for the day.

Supermarkets

Sainsbury's, Aldi, Tesco, Lidl, M&S and Waitrose have all confirmed plans to close their supermarkets or food halls on Monday, with just some minor changes in place for smaller convenience stores or petrol stations.

Online grocery deliveries will also be paused to further allow staff to pay their own respects to England's longest serving monarch.

Tesco said it will close but Express stores would reopen at 5pm
Tesco said it will close but Express stores would reopen at 5pm

Sainsbury’s said while it will shut its main supermarkets on the day of the funeral it does plan to keep convenience shops and petrol filling stations open during the evening.

A spokesman explained: "Our convenience stores and petrol filling stations will be open from 5pm-10pm to allow our customers to pick up essential items, while select stores in central London will open to serve those attending the funeral in person. We thank our customers for their understanding."

Sainsbury's will close supermarkets but open convenience stores and petrol stations in the evening
Sainsbury's will close supermarkets but open convenience stores and petrol stations in the evening

The John Lewis Partnership, which is responsible for Waitrose supermarkets, said a small number of smaller Waitrose stores in London could remain open to help serve the crowds in the capital requiring food and drink, but these too would close during the funeral itself, because as a company it wished to pay its respects.

Andrew Murphy, chief operating officer of The John Lewis Partnership, said: "We are deeply saddened by the death of Her Majesty The Queen.

"We will be closing our stores on the day of her funeral as a mark of respect, and because we believe this is the right thing to do for our partners and customers."

Waitrose will keep some small stores in London open for a short time on Monday to enable those paying their respects to get food and drink
Waitrose will keep some small stores in London open for a short time on Monday to enable those paying their respects to get food and drink

Tesco will close its supermarkets on Monday - with Express stores only opening at 5pm before then closing at their normal time. Online orders are also being cancelled - with staff contacting those customers who already have a pre-booked slot to help them make alternative arrangements.

Jason Tarry, Tesco UK CEO 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 19 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."

On Instagram, Lidl said: “In honour of Her Majesty and to allow our colleagues to pay their respects, we will be closing all of our stores across England, Scotland and Wales on the day of the funeral.

"Thank you to everyone for your understanding."

M&S, while shutting the majority of its food halls does intend to keep some small stores open close to events in London and Windsor for those paying their respects to the Queen, but that these too are expected to be closed during the funeral itself.

Stuart Machin, chief executive at M&S said: "“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."

Asda said it will shut all its stores on Monday until 5pm to allow employees and customers to watch the funeral and pay their respects and no online deliveries will be carried out on Monday either.

A spokesman added: "All our stores will close by midnight on Sunday September 18 and reopen at 5pm on Monday September 19."

Supermarket aisles in Lidl will remain empty on Monday
Supermarket aisles in Lidl will remain empty on Monday

On the high street

McDonald's is closing all of its UK restaurants from midnight Sunday until 5pm on Monday evening to enable staff to pay their respects. The fast food chain said after 5pm opening hours may vary.

McDonald's plans to close its UK restaurants until 5pm Monday, after which opening hours will vary
McDonald's plans to close its UK restaurants until 5pm Monday, after which opening hours will vary

Primark will shut all of its 191 stores on Monday, reopening as normal on Tuesday.

A Primark spokeswoman said: “Our stores, depots and head office in the UK will be closed on Monday, September 19 to give our colleagues the opportunity to pay their respects and watch the funeral of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II."

Primark is shutting all of its stores on Monday
Primark is shutting all of its stores on Monday

Alongside closing Waitrose supermarkets, with the exception of some short-term opening hours for convenience stores in London, the John Lewis Partnership will also not open its John Lewis department stores on Monday.

Argos, owned and run by parent company Sainsbury's is closing its branches on Monday and also pausing its Argos Fast Track delivery service for the day, while M&S alongside foodhalls, will also close all of its larger shops selling clothing and homewear on Monday and deliveries will stop.

Poundland said all its 770 UK stores will close for the whole day, and any staff that had been due to work on September 19 will still receive full pay.

The company said: "We know how important it will be that colleagues have the opportunity to pay their respects next Monday, as the country comes together to honour and celebrate the life of the Queen."

Poundland says any staff due to work on Monday will still get their full pay
Poundland says any staff due to work on Monday will still get their full pay

As a mark of respect Costa Coffee says it will close all of its 'wholly owned' coffee shops on Monday but some stores, operated by partners may remain open with Costa Express machines remaining switched on in shops that do stay open.

DIY chain B&Q said it too intended to close on Monday for the Queen's funeral and all delivery services would also be temporarily suspended.
A spokesperson said: "As a mark of respect for the state funeral for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, and to offer our colleagues the opportunity to pay their respects, we have taken the decision to close all our UK stores on Monday. Our click and collect and home delivery services will also be temporarily suspended on the day."

WH Smith's high street stores will also close and the company is expected to alter the opening arrangements of its travel stores found in places like airports, train stations and motorway service stations.

Halfords and Kwik Fit are both closing on Monday
Halfords and Kwik Fit are both closing on Monday

Vehicle repairs and mechanics

Vehicle repairs at Kwik Fit centres will also be stopped after the chain confirmed that all centres would shut on Monday as the nation marks the Queen's passing, and it will reopen as normal the following day.

Roger Griggs, communications director at Kwik Fit, said: "Following the declaration of a bank holiday to mark the state funeral of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Kwik Fit centres will be closed on Monday.

"While we usually remain open on most bank holidays, these are unique circumstances. We are closing to enable all our colleagues to join their family and friends in paying their final respects as Her Majesty is laid to rest. We understand that many customers will be doing the same and hope that this decision does not cause inconvenience.

In a message on its website Halfords said too was closing all stores, garages and support centres on Monday, September 19. Its Mobile Experts would also not be operating on Monday, said the company, but that everything would open and run as normal the following day.

Branches owned and run by the Post Office will close on Monday
Branches owned and run by the Post Office will close on Monday

Post

Royal Mail has already confirmed it is suspending services on the day of the funeral with Monday now being a bank holiday. But the situation remains a little more unclear at the Post Office, where some branches are run independently.

The 114 branches the Post Office owns directly are expected to all shut on Monday but it will be down to individual postmasters in other branches, which are often inside smaller shops and convenience stores, to decide on their opening hours or whether they offer any services on Monday.

People expecting to receive benefits and credits on Monday will also be paid early - ahead of the weekend - the Department for Work and Pensions has confirmed.

Bin collections

Household waste collections are being suspended on Monday across Kent and Medway.

Ashford Borough Council, says its waste collections next week beginning on Monday, September 19 will take place on the following day to a households' normal collection day while Medway is also making some changes to its kerbside collections available to read here. Normal service, say Medway Council, will return on Tuesday but directs people to its website should their normal collection day be Monday, September 19.

Canterbury City Council will push its waste collection dates back a day due to the bank holiday and in Swale council services will also be closed on Monday for the funera,l with waste and recycling collections postponed by one day for the week. More details available here.

Collections are also being delayed in Maidstone with those due to take place on Monday now moved to Tuesday 20, continuing through the week, with Friday’s collections taking place on Saturday 24.

Legoland, which marked the Jubilee with a special display, says its Windsor resort will close for the Queen's funeral
Legoland, which marked the Jubilee with a special display, says its Windsor resort will close for the Queen's funeral

Places to visit

Cinema chains including Odeon, Cineworld and Showcase, are to close their doors on Monday across the country.

Chessington World of Adventures is among the major attractions that will also close to visitors as a mark of respect.

The theme park, which offers day trips and short breaks said its staff would be making contact with anyone already booked to visit so that alternative arrangements could be made.

Legoland in Windsor is also closing on the day of the funeral, while its on-site hotels will also be shut in advance on Sunday, September 18 as the resort prepares to close down until after the Queen's funeral has taken place.

Thorpe Park, which is also owned and run by the same company as both Chessington and Legoland, says it too won't open on Monday and its on-site Thorpe Shark Cabins will also remain shut on the Sunday too.

The London Eye says to allow guests and staff to pay their respects during 'this period of national mourning' it will close on the day of the funeral. The central London attraction says it is also playing close attention to events in the capital this week and so some changes are also being made to show respect and sensitivity to the national state of mourning.

While theatres in the West End have remained open since the Queen's death there are some closures now being announced for performances on Monday afternoon and evening because of the Queen's funeral, with advice for those with tickets to now check before making their journey to the capital.

The National Trust says its properties, including cafes and shops will close on Monday but that coastal and countryside car parks will remain open for visitors to use.

Popular holiday firm Center Parcs has attracted some criticism for initially announcing that it will close its site for 24-hours forcing guests who are mid-way through a holiday to either move off-site or start their break a day later. Center Parcs said in a statement it made the decision "as a mark of respect and to allow as many of our colleagues as possible to be part of this historic moment", but has since reversed its decision to ask people to leave.

In Kent the Turner Contemporary in Margate is also shutting on Monday and pausing all events during the period of mourning, together with Hever Castle which says it will also close on Monday and has postponed the sale of Christmas tickets that will now be released first to members at 11am on Wednesday, September 21 instead.

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