Next stays open to 9pm on 18 and 19 December and Primark opens on Boxing Day. Chester BID has published festive hours for 16 city centre shops.

Next in Chester will stay open until 9pm on Friday 18 and Saturday 19 December, and Primark opens from 9am to 6pm on Boxing Day. Those are two of the festive opening hours Chester BID published on 10 November for city centre shops.

The list covers 16 city centre shops. The hours below are the BID’s, store by store, as supplied to it by each shop’s manager. Late-night shopping Thursdays run from 19 November to 17 December, with later Park and Ride buses on those nights.

Christmas Eve, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day

Christmas Day 2026 falls on a Friday, so Boxing Day is a Saturday and New Year’s Day is a Friday.

Shop Christmas Eve Boxing Day New Year’s Day
Next 9am to 5.30pm not listed not listed
Boots 8.30am to 6pm 8.30am to 6pm 11am to 5pm
Primark 9am to 5pm 9am to 6pm 9am to 5pm
Crew Clothing 9am to 4pm 9am to 4pm 10am to 5pm
Superdrug not listed open (pharmacy closed) open (pharmacy closed)
Lucy & Yak 10am to 4pm 10am to 5pm closed
Oliver Bonas not listed closed 11am to 5pm
Reiss 9am to 5pm 9am to 5pm closed
New Look until 4pm not listed 11am to 4pm
Ryman not listed 9am to 5.30pm closed
Tesco, Frodsham Street 6am to 7pm 9am to 6pm closed
The Entertainer 8.30am to 5pm 10am to 5pm closed
Scribbler 9am to 5pm closed closed
Hotel Chocolat until 5pm 9am to 5.30pm closed

“Not listed” means the BID’s guide does not give hours for that day, not that the shop is shut. Check with the shop before a special trip.

Late opening before Christmas

  • Next: 9am to 7pm on 19 November, 3 December and 10 December; 9am to 8pm on 17 December; 9am to 9pm on 18 and 19 December; 11am to 5pm on Sunday 20 December; 9am to 8pm from 21 to 23 December.
  • Primark: 9am to 8pm every Thursday from 26 November, and on 17, 18, 19, 21 and 22 December.
  • Tesco, Frodsham Street: 6am to midnight from 21 to 23 December.
  • The White Company: open until 7pm every Thursday in December except Christmas Eve.
  • New Look: open until 7pm every Thursday in December.
  • Oliver Bonas: 9am to 6.30pm Thursday to Saturday from 30 November, and Monday to Saturday from 14 December; 11am to 5.30pm on Sundays.
  • The Entertainer: 9am to 6pm on Saturdays from 28 November and Monday to Saturday from 13 December; 8.30am to 6pm from 20 to 22 December.
  • Crew Clothing: 8.30am to 6pm on Black Friday weekend (27 and 28 November) and Cyber Monday (30 November).
  • Scribbler: 9am to 7pm on 4 and 10 December, 9am to 8pm on 17 December.
  • Hotel Chocolat: 9am to 7pm on 27 November and on 18 and 19 December; 9am to 6pm from 3 December, 10am to 5pm on Sundays.
  • Lucy & Yak: 9am to 5pm on 27 November and 18 December, 9am to 6pm on 28 November and 19 December.

Between Christmas and New Year

  • Boots: 11am to 5pm on 27 and 28 December, then 8.30am to 6pm from 29 to 31 December.
  • Tesco, Frodsham Street: 11am to 5pm on 27 December, 8am to 8pm on 28 December, 7am to 11pm on 29 and 30 December.
  • The Entertainer: 10am to 4pm on 27 December, 9.30am to 5.30pm on 28 and 29 December, 9.30am to 5pm on 31 December.
  • Scribbler: 10am to 5pm on 27 and 28 December, 9.30am to 6pm on 29 and 30 December, 9.30am to 5pm on New Year’s Eve.
  • Primark: normal hours from 27 to 30 December, 9am to 5pm on New Year’s Eve.
  • Oliver Bonas: 11am to 5pm on 27 and 31 December.
  • Crew Clothing and Lucy & Yak: both open on New Year’s Eve, Crew from 9am to 4pm and Lucy & Yak from 10am to 4pm.

What it means for you

The busiest late nights are Friday 18 and Saturday 19 December, when Next and Primark both trade into the evening. If you need a chemist on Boxing Day, Boots is listed as open from 8.30am. Superdrug’s pharmacy counter is closed on Boxing Day and New Year’s Day even though the shop is open.

Marks & Spencer is also in the BID’s guide. We have left it out because its listed days do not line up with the 2026 calendar: it shows Thursday and Friday closed in the week of 20 to 26 December, which would mean closing on Christmas Eve. Check the M&S store finder for the Chester store’s hours.

Free weekend parking at Chester Racecourse runs every Saturday and Sunday from 21 November to 20 December, the BID says.

Sources