Home Bargains will close all its shops for some of the festive period.

The budget retailer revealed at its annual conference that every branch in the chain will shut on Christmas Day, Boxing Day, and New Year’s Day so that staff can spend time with their loved ones.  

The company also confirmed that its stores will close for the day at the earlier time of 5pm on Christmas Eve for the same reason, to give colleagues more time off to spend time with friends and families.

A spokesperson for the brand, which recently opened a new store near Great Western Way in Swindon, said: “We know how hard all our colleagues have worked throughout the year.

“Being a family-run business, we recognise the importance of spending quality time with our loved ones.

“Therefore, we feel it is only right to support our valued store teams by giving them extended time off around Christmas and New Year.”

Liverpool-headquartered TJ Morris Ltd, trading as Home Bargains, is one of the UK's fastest-growing discount retailers.

With almost 600 stores and employing more than 28,000 staff, it is the largest employer in Merseyside and is the largest independent grocer in the country.