Belgium’s major supermarket chains will adapt their opening hours for the upcoming Christmas holidays, hoping to spread out the influx of customers as they expect a bigger rush than usual in light of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Some chains have urged not to wait until the last moment to buy products that have a long shelf-life. Supermarkets are facing higher-than normal pressure as restaurants have been forced to close as part of current coronavirus measures.
With that, here's what each chain's opening hours will look like.
Related News
- 'Start buying certain products now': Belgian supermarkets fear end-of-year rush
- Belgium reopens shops, extends other measures until mid-January
Colruyt stores will open from 8:00 AM (as opposed to 8:30) on 23, 24, 30 and 31 December. In addition, they will close two hours earlier, at 6:00 PM, on Christmas Even and New Year’s Eve. Finally, Colruyt staff had already been promised an extra day off on 2 January.
Delhaize shops will open from 7:00 AM to 8:00 PM on 23 and 30 December, and from 7:00 to 5:00 PM on 24 and 31 December. In addition, 34 Delhaize stores will be open on 27 December and 3 January.
Carrefour supermarkets will open from 8:00 AM until their regular closing times from 21 through 31 December. On Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve, however, they will close at 5:00 PM. Finally, they will be open from 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM on 20 December.
Aldi supermarkets will close at 5:00 PM instead of 7:00 PM on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve, and Albert Heijn stores will do the same.
So will Lidl, whose stores will be open on those days from 8:30 AM. Their stores will also be open on Sundays 20 and 27 December.
Jason Spinks
The Brussels Times