Monday, September 19, will be a bank holiday due to the Queen's state funeral, which takes place at Westminster Abbey in London. The UK is currently observing a national period of mourning following Queen Elizabeth II's death at the age of 96 on Thursday, September 8.
As a mark of respect, a number of retailers have announced that they will shut their doors for the day of the funeral. Primark was one of the first to confirm that all of its stores would close on the day.
The clothing giant said all 191 of its high street stores across the UK would be shut on Monday. Primark said its stores will reopen for normal hours the following day, Tuesday, September 20.
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A Primark spokeswoman said: “Our stores, depots and head office in the UK will be closed on Monday September 19 to give our colleagues the opportunity to pay their respects and watch the funeral of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. We will reopen as normal on Tuesday September 20.”
Retailers are not required to shut their doors on the day of the funeral. However many have decided to close to allow staff to watch the funeral proceedings, while others have decided to close during the funeral and reopen in the evening.
Guidance for businesses during the period of mourning has been released on the government website. It states: “Some businesses may wish to consider closing or postponing events, especially on the day of the state funeral, however, this is at the discretion of individual businesses.”
Following the monarch's death on Thursday afternoon, Primark posted a tribute on its social media accounts, featuring a black and white photo of the late Queen. Alongside the photo, Primark said: "We are deeply saddened by the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. On behalf of everyone at Primark, we send our heartfelt condolences to the Royal Family for their loss."
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