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Tesco has confirmed that the majority of its UK stores will shut up shop for a whole day in April. The supermarket giant, adopting a similar approach to Primark, operates more than 3,000 locations across the nation, with roughly 2,558 of those in England.

Bosses have confirmed that all larger stores across England, Wales and Northern Ireland will be closed on Easter Sunday (April 5). By comparison, larger format stores in Scotland will trade as normal, whilst those on the Isle of Man will be open between 8am and 10pm.

There is one exception. Most larger Express stores will be shut, whilst smaller Express outlets will maintain their standard trading hours without any modifications.

This forms part of a significantly changed opening schedule for Tesco over the Easter period. Customers are advised to verify their nearest branch's opening hours before travelling.

A Tesco spokesperson said: "Our opening hours over the Easter period vary by location, so we advise customers to check their local store opening times on our store locator here: https://www.tesco.com/store-locator/.

"This is also the best place to check for Petrol Filling Station opening times, as these can vary from main store opening hours."

This is standard practice within the supermarket industry, as retailers typically suspend operations in April owing to the Easter bank holiday.

Under government regulations in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, any outlet exceeding 280 square metres must legally remain closed on Easter Sunday.

Scotland, however, is an exception, maintaining regular Sunday trading hours. Opening times are similarly impacted on Good Friday and Easter Monday.

"On Good Friday, the majority of our large stores across England, Wales and Isle of Man will be open from 6am to 10pm," explained a Tesco spokesperson. "All large stores in Scotland and Northern Ireland will trade their normal hours, whilst the majority of our large Express stores will be open from 6am to 10pm, and there are no changes to opening hours for standard Express stores.

"On Easter Monday, the majority of our large stores across England, Wales and Isle of Man will be open from 8am to 6pm. The majority of our large Northern Ireland stores will be open from 8am-8pm."

They continued: "All large stores in Scotland will be trading their usual hours. The majority of our large Express stores will be open from 8am -to 6pm and there are no changes for standard Express stores."

Consequently, it may be advisable to arrange your shopping visit in advance during the Easter holidays. Customers can verify the opening hours of their nearest Tesco using the online store locator.