Although King Charles III declared the day a national holiday, each business can decide whether to open as normal, as most establishments are open most days of the year in England.
However, the official closure of schools and kindergartens leaves children out of school and creates problems for parents, so many institutions have chosen to close for the entire day to allow employees to attend funerals.
According to economist Samuel Tombs, a consultancy at Pantheon Macroeconomics, the result could be a 0.2% contraction in gross domestic product (GDP) in September, and Simon French of investment bank Panmure Gordon told the French Economista magazine. It cost £2,000m (€2,300m) in lost revenue.
With an economy already showing signs of crisis, having grown by just 0.2% in July, the impact could lead to a tech recession sooner than the UK expected.
GDP already fell by 0.6% in June, attributed to the extra holiday announced to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.
Supermarket chains Sainsbury’s, Morrisons, Aldi, Waitrose, Lidl, Asda, Iceland and Tesco have confirmed they will close their major supermarkets, but will open some convenience stores in town centers from 17:00 after they close. Festivals.
Major retailers include furniture stores Ikea, computer stores Currys, Argos and B&Q homeware and clothing chains Primark and Sports Direct, among others, which will close their doors.
Odeon and Cineworld cinemas will not be open, while Vue cinemas will offer free funeral screenings without popcorn instead of films.
Restaurants and Greggs and McDonald’s are also expected to be closed or operating reduced hours, while most pubs are expected to remain open.
The Fuller’s Group plans to open most of its approximately 400 bars across the country to “provide a place where people can come together and pay their respects” to the Queen, while Wetherspoon’s will normally wait until 1pm at work, except in London.
The holiday will affect mail delivery and consultations and operations at medical centers and hospitals, resulting in the cancellation of regular operations.
GDP already fell 0.6% in June, but not all sectors lost, as transport in the London area regained some of the movement lost during the Covid-19 pandemic and flower sales rose. Come to Buckingham Palace to pay your respects.
After sitting on the throne for more than 70 years in England’s history, Elizabeth II died at the age of 96 at Balmoral Castle in Scotland on September 8, and her body lies in the cremation chamber at the Houses of Parliament. , in London, until Monday.
A royal funeral will be held Monday at London’s Westminster Abbey, attended by dozens of international heads of state and government.
The casket with the Queen’s body will finally be buried in a vault at Windsor Castle, where the remains of her parents and sister are, in a private ceremony reserved for the family, and her husband Prince Philip’s coffin will be replaced. Died in 2021 at the age of 99.
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