If the idea of standing in a damp car park at 8:47 a.m. makes your soul shrivel, there’s hope. M&S.com usually runs Boxing Day sales online starting from midnight on 26 December. Yes, you can shop for discounted duvets and sparkly tops from the warmth of your sofa, wearing yesterday’s pyjama bottoms. But—and this is a big but—delivery slots vanish faster than the last mince pie at a family gathering.
Click-and-collect, though? That’s a cunning trick. You can order online on Boxing Day, but you won’t be able to pick it up until the 27th. So if you’re hoping to avoid a queue at the till, you’ll still have to queue for the click-and-collect counter. It’s the retail equivalent of a Chinese finger trap. (Ironic, I know.)
The “am I too late?” dilemma
Here’s a quiet horror story: you sleep in until noon on Boxing Day, stumble into M&S at 1 p.m., and it’s closed. That’s right—some branches, especially in smaller towns, shut as early as 4 p.m. or 5 p.m. on the 26th. The store staff want to go home and eat their own leftovers, and honestly, fair play to them. But you, dear reader, need to check your local store’s hours before you leave the house.
Marks & Spencer (m&s) Manchester opening times, 7 Market Street
My rule of thumb? Assume they close two hours earlier than you think they do. It’s saved me from many a heartbroken walk past darkened windows. And if you spot a lonely soul outside a locked M&S at 4:15 p.m., offer them a mince pie. They’ve clearly been Dave’d. We’ve all been Dave’d.
