UK supermarket Asda to close on Boxing day

LONDON (Reuters) – British supermarket Asda said it would shut all its stores on Boxing Day to give its staff the opportunity to stay at home, while workers will also get a bonus after a “challenging year”.

Asda joins Marks & Spencer in opting to shut their stores on the day after Christmas Day to give their staff a day off on what is normally a busy shopping period.

“This is of course our busiest time of year,” CEO Roger Burnley told staff.

“But it was important for us to give as many of you as possible the opportunity to spend this time with those loved ones that you may not have not seen for many months so, uniquely for this year, we will not reopen our stores until December 27th.”