John Lewis
Chief executive Roger Burnley said all of Asda’s 631 stores will close for two days, meaning it will miss out on the beginning of annual Boxing Day sales.
In a message to employees, he said: “This has been a challenging year and you have all done an incredible job, continuing to serve our customers and communities while juggling so many other commitments.
“But it’s also been challenging from a personal perspective as we have not been able to spend time with our families and friends, which has been hard for us all.
“As you know, the strict guidelines set out by the government will change between 23rd and 27th December and more households will be able to gather together.