The UK’s three biggest supermarkets are breaking with tradition and opening their doors on Boxing Day with thousands of staff due to work the national holiday.
Tesco is opening nearly 200 of its UK stores on Boxing Day in a bid the chase consumer cash, breaking with its tradition of giving most staff two days holiday over Christmas.
Britain's biggest retailer said it would open all its 179 Extra stores and 10 Homeplus stores on Boxing Day this year.
It represents a massive rise from the 50 stores it opened last year and reflects the need to bid for business in the current economic climate.
Asda will open 46 stores and 21 of its Living outlets, it did not open any of its stores on Boxing Day 2007.
Sainsbury's is opening 232 convenience stores and 36 of its major supermarkets. None of the larger outlets were open last year.
Philip Dorgan, analyst at Panmure Gordon, said: “A lot of stores will be opening on Boxing Day - from Next to the furniture retailers. So of course it makes sense if you have destination stores to try and make some money on Boxing Day."
A Tesco spokesperson said: "We're opening more of our biggest stores and our Homeplus stores on Boxing Day as many customers tell us that they now see this day as a shopping day, with most other retailers opening their doors."
Tesco this month delivered its worst UK sales performance for more than a decade following the launch of its "discount range" that depressed sales growth by value.
They said the move to introduce cheaper lines had "deflated our sales during the quarter by between two and three percentage points" when it reported underlying sales up two per cent in the 13 weeks to November 22.
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