Christmas Eve 2025: Special opening hours for supermarkets, pharmacies and other essential services
Last-minute shoppers will need to plan ahead, especially if they need dinner ingredients, forgotten gifts or essential items.
Toy store in the U.S. (File).
Christmas Eve 2025, which this year falls on Wednesday, Dec. 24, is one of the busiest shopping days, but also one of the most limited in terms of hours. Most supermarkets, pharmacies, department stores and restaurants will open with reduced hours and will close completely on Christmas Day.
So last-minute shoppers should plan ahead, especially if they need dinner ingredients, forgotten gifts or essential items.
Christmas Eve 2025 grocery store hours
Walmart: 6 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Target: 7 a.m. - 8 p.m.
Costco:
- Executive Members: 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
- All Members: 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Sam's Club:
- Plus: 8 a.m. - 6 p.m.
- Club: 9 a.m. - 6 p.m.
BJ's Wholesale Club: 8 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Publix: Closes at 7 p.m.
Kroger: Variable hours, but closes early
Trader Joe's: Closes at 5 p.m.
Whole Foods: Reduced hours, closes at approximately 7 p.m.
Aldi: Limited hours; most close at 4 p.m.
Lidl: Closes at 6 p.m.
Meijer: Open until 7 p.m.
Acme Market: All stores close at 6 p.m. on Wednesday.
Food Lion: Closes at 7 p.m.
Wegmans: Closes at 6 p.m.
Winn-Dixie: Open until 9 p.m.
Important: Most of these chains will close completely on Christmas Day (Dec. 25).
Christmas Eve pharmacy hours
As for pharmacies, CVS and Walgreens will keep many of its branches open on Christmas Eve, albeit with varying hours and possible early closures of in-house pharmacies.
Both chains recommend consulting the store locator before visiting. On Christmas Day, most pharmacies will be closed, except for some 24-hour branches.
Department and specialty stores
- Best Buy: Variable hours; closed on Christmas Day.
- Home Depot: Open until 5 p.m. on Christmas Eve; closed on the 25th.
- Lowe's: Limited hours; many departments close at 5 p.m.
- IKEA: Closed Christmas Day; variable hours on Christmas Eve.
- Macy's: Limited hours on the 24th; closed on the 25th.
What services are open on Christmas Eve?
With Christmas Eve approaching, many people are wondering what services will operate normally on Dec. 24. Here is a summary of how the post office, banks and major courier companies will operate in the country.
The Postal Service offices will be open on Dec. 24 and mail will be delivered as normal, USPS said on its website.
In addition, mail will be picked up from blue mailboxes according to the schedules posted in each.
USPS recommends customers check with their local post office, as hours of operation may vary by location.
- Banks
Most bank branches will be open on Christmas Eve. However, some may operate with reduced or adjusted hours.
It is advised to check directly with the local bank branch to confirm specific hours due to the holiday.
UPS reported that delivery of all of its services will be available on Dec. 24. The UPS Store locations will remain open until at least 3 p.m. (local time), although hours may vary by location.
The company clarified that:
- Air and international service pickup will only be available if scheduled prior to Dec. 18.
- There will be no ground pickup on Christmas Eve.
- UPS Express Critical will operate as normal, as it is available 365 days a year.
For its part, FedEx noted that most of its pickup and delivery services will be available on Christmas Eve, although its offices will operate on modified schedules. The company recommends contacting your local FedEx office to confirm specific schedules during the holidays.
Recommendations
- Check your local store's exact hours before heading out.
- Shop as early as possible.
- Remember that most stores do not operate on Dec. 25.
- Online orders may not be delivered the same day if the store is closed.
With good planning, consumers will be able to avoid mishaps and enjoy the holiday celebration worry-free.
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