Grocery Stores Open on Boxing Day 2025 in the US

Unlike many Commonwealth countries where Boxing Day (December 26) is an official public holiday with widespread closures, the United States does not recognize Boxing Day as a federal holiday. As a result, most grocery stores, supermarkets, pharmacies, and big-box retailers that closed completely on Christmas Day (Thursday, December 25) reopened with regular or near-regular hours on Friday, December 26, 2025.

With the long weekend extending through Saturday and Sunday for many Americans, December 26 became a prime day for post-holiday shopping, returns, exchanges, clearance hunting, and restocking refrigerators after Christmas feasts.

Major Grocery & Supermarket Chains Open on December 26, 2025

The following chains resumed normal operations after full Christmas Day closures (hours may vary slightly by location—always check the store locator):

• Walmart Reopened at 6:00 a.m. local time in most stores. Regular hours resumed, making it one of the earliest and most widely available options for groceries, household goods, and post-holiday deals.
• Target Stores reopened at 7:00 a.m. local time in the majority of locations. Expect standard operating hours with heavy emphasis on holiday clearance sections.
• Kroger Family of Stores (Kroger, Ralphs, Fred Meyer, Harris Teeter, King Soopers, Dillons, etc.) Regular hours resumed after Christmas closure. Use the Kroger app or website for exact local times.
• Costco All warehouses closed on Christmas Day; reopened with standard warehouse hours on December 26 (typically 10:00 a.m. start, but confirm with your local warehouse).
• Publix Regular hours resumed after early closure on Christmas Eve and full closure on Christmas Day.
• Aldi Reopened with regular early-morning hours (often 9:00 a.m.).
• Whole Foods Market Back to normal operations after Christmas closure.
• Trader Joe’s Reopened with standard hours following Christmas Day closure.
• Other Regional & National Chains Safeway, Albertsons, Meijer, Wegmans, Food Lion, Winn-Dixie, Hy-Vee, Giant Eagle, Stop & Shop, and most independent supermarkets reopened with regular hours on December 26.

Note: Many stores offered significant post-Christmas discounts on seasonal foods, bakery items, holiday decorations, and party supplies. Fresh produce, meats, and ready-to-eat meals were fully restocked to support weekend meal prep and leftover-based dishes.

Pharmacies & Convenience Stores – Open as Usual

These locations remained accessible throughout the holiday period:

• CVS Pharmacy — Regular hours, including pharmacy services in most locations.
• Walgreens — Standard operating hours with pharmacy availability varying by store.
• 7-Eleven, Speedway, Circle K, Wawa, and other convenience chains — Many operate 24/7 year-round, including December 26.

What Remained Closed or Had Limited Operations?

While most retail and grocery sectors were open, some services had adjusted schedules:

• U.S. Postal Service (USPS) — Post offices reopened for retail services and regular mail delivery resumed on December 26.
• Banks — Most branches returned to normal weekday hours.
• Stock Markets (NYSE & Nasdaq) — Trading resumed normally on December 26.

Why December 26 Is a Busy Shopping Day in the U.S.

Although Boxing Day is not an official holiday in the United States, retailers have increasingly capitalized on it as an extension of the Christmas shopping season. The day is known for:

• Massive after-Christmas clearance sales
• Easy returns and exchanges of unwanted gifts
• Restocking for New Year’s Eve parties and weekend gatherings
• Early-bird deals on holiday leftovers and seasonal items

For the most accurate information, always verify hours using each retailer’s official website, mobile app, or by calling your local store, as individual locations may have slight variations based on staffing or regional policies.