Independent retailers look to be favouring reduced opening hours on Monday 19 September during the Queen’s State Funeral.
The funeral will take place at Westminster Abbey at 1100am although the procession will begin at 10am.
In a Twitter poll run by ConvenienceStore.co.uk, 50% of respondents said they would be reducing opening hours on Monday 19 September while 18.3% said they would close for the entire day. Just under a quarter (23.3%) said they would keep opening hours and staffing same as normal on the day of the Queen’s funeral with the rest stating they would be open as normal but allow staff off to watch it if requested.
Richard Dance of Southern Co-op store Welcome Brockenhurst said he would close for some of the day so that staff could watch it but that the local community wouldn’t have to go without.
Some stores have stated that, following consultation with staff, they will remain open for the entire day so that key workers can buy provisions, with rotas being changed so that those who want to watch the funeral can do so.
The majority of multiple retailers are either closing for the entire day or opening at 5pm, with Tesco and Sainsbury’s opening their Express and Local stores in the evening.
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