The government has said that, during the period of national mourning, “there is no obligation to suspend operations”. He added that some businesses “may want to consider closing or postponing events, especially on the day of the state funeral”, but added that this would be “at the discretion of individual businesses”. So let’s take a look at some of the UK’s big businesses and find out what their plans are. Supermarkets and department stores The John Lewis Partnership will close department stores and Waitrose stores on the day of the funeral. Chief executive Andrew Murphy said the decision was made “out of respect and because we believe this is the right thing for our partners and customers”. An exception can be made for a “very limited number” of Waitrose stores on the funeral procession route to cater for the public who will be queuing for long hours, but even these stores will close for the funeral itself. A Sainsbury’s spokesman said Sainsbury’s and Argos stores would be closed “in honor of Her Majesty and so our colleagues can pay their respects”. The closures include online grocery and express delivery at Argos. Convenience stores and petrol stations will be open from 5pm to 10pm, while selected shops in central London will open to serve those attending the funeral in person. Aldi stores will be closed all day. Lidl stores will also be closed. Tesco UK chief executive Jason Tarry said all major Tesco stores will close for the day and Express stores will remain closed until 5pm. Queen for her unwavering service.’ Sky News also asked Morrisons, M&S, Iceland and Asda for their plans. Use Chrome browser for more accessible video player 2:27 The King leads the coffin procession down the Royal Mile More on the Queen: How can you see a monarch lying in state? Football matches to continue What happens next and what changes? Shopping malls The Overgate Shopping Center in Dundee has said it will be open as normal, but individual retailers within the shopping center will choose whether to open or close their shops. A spokesman for Landsec said its shopping centers would adhere to bank holiday opening hours, but added: “Some of our brand partners may be closed or open different hours than usual, so we are asking guests to contact them directly before traveling.” Landsec’s retail sites include Trinity Leeds, Bluewater in Kent, White Rose Center in Leeds, Gunwharf Quays in Portsmouth, St David’s Dewi Sant in Cardiff, Junction 32 in Yorkshire, Braintree Village in Essex, Buchanan Galleries in Glasgow, Lewisham12, Shopping Center in Shepherd’s Bush and more. Westfield London and Westfield Stratford are likely to remain open, although a spokesman said some stores within them would close for the day. Manchester’s Trafford Center said its plans had not been finalised, but any updates would be posted on its website. Hammerson shopping centers will be open next Monday and some of them are expected to show the funeral on screens, a spokesman said. Hammerson’s shopping centers include the Bullring and Grand Central in Birmingham, London’s Brent Cross, Highcross in Leicester, Bristol’s Cabot Circus and Croydon’s Centrale & Whitgift. Sky News also asked St James Quarter in Edinburgh, British Land (owners of shopping centers such as Meadowhall in Sheffield), Eldon Square in Newcastle, Braehead in Scotland, Victoria Square in Belfast, Metrocentre in Gateshead for the plans their. retailers A Primark spokesman said all its UK stores, warehouses and head offices will be closed on September 19 “to give our colleagues the opportunity to pay their respects and attend the funeral of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II “. They will reopen as normal from Tuesday, September 20. Apple stores across the UK will reportedly close for the day. Lakeland will close all operations, including its stores, for the day. All WH Smith High Street stores will be closed for the day next Monday. All WH Smith Travel stores in the UK will remain closed for at least the duration of the funeral, a spokesman said. Halfords said its stores, garages and support center will be closed and Halfords Mobile Experts will be closed on September 19 “to allow our colleagues to take part in the National Day of Mourning”. A spokesman said any customers who have booked appointments in stores, Autocentres or with National Tires will be contacted to reschedule. All Next stores will be closed throughout the day. Zara stores will also be closed. Sky News also asked Boots, H&M, Waterstones, Joules, Clarks, Card Factory and TK Maxx for their plans. Read more Queen: Prince Harry’s tribute to ‘grandmother’ Who will be at Queen’s funeral (and who won’t) King Charles says he feels ‘weight of history around us’ in first speech to Parliament as monarch Position Royal Mail said its services would be suspended on the day of the funeral, but the picture is a little more complicated at the Post Office. The Post Office has 11,500 branches, but only 114 of these are directly managed by the Post Office – these 114 will be closed for the day. Around 2,500 branches are run by the likes of WH Smith, Tesco, Co-Op, Spar and these businesses will decide on their plans, although a Post Office spokesman said it was “likely” most of these branches would also close . They added: “The rest of our network of stores are operated by independent postmen and are usually located in convenience stores. Whether it opens on the day will be the post office’s decision. “At weekends, we typically have around 4,000 stores open and we would normally expect a similar number to be open on a normal bank holiday. “However, some independent postal workers, who would normally open their branch on a public holiday, may decide to close their branch on September 19 to mark Her Majesty’s death.” The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy said the Queen’s funeral day would operate in the same way as other public holidays. There will be no statutory right to leave, although employers can include it as part of employees’ leave entitlement and employers are encouraged to “respond sensitively to requests from employees who wish to take time off”.
