Labour Day Shopping Guide: Which Major Supermarkets, Retailers, and Restaurants Are Open Today

Most major supermarkets and retailers across the US are open on Labor Day, Monday, 7 September 2026, while the US Postal Service and the main US stock exchanges are closed, and many bank branches are also shut for the federal holiday, though hours vary by institution and location.

Labor Day falls on the first Monday in September and is widely treated as the unofficial end of summer in the US, even if that is more cultural shorthand than legal definition. This year, the long weekend runs from Saturday, 5 September, through Monday, 7 September, and for many households, it means cookouts, sales, and hurried runs for whatever was forgotten on the shopping list.

The history is rather weightier than a three‑day sale might suggest. The US Department of Labor notes that the first Labor Day was celebrated on 5 September 1882, in New York City. By 1894, 23 more states had adopted Labor Day, and on June 28 that year Congress passed a law making the first Monday in September a legal holiday to honour 'the social and economic achievements of American workers.' President Grover Cleveland signed the measure the same day.

Labor Day Closures: Mail, Delivery Firms, Banks And Markets

The clearest national closure on Labor Day is the post. According to the US Postal Service, all post offices are closed on Monday, and there is no regular mail delivery; normal retail services and deliveries resume on Tuesday, 8 September. If you need something sent, it will be added to the Tuesday queue.

Package carriers are scaling back too, but not in identical ways. UPS's 2026 holiday schedule says there is no regular pickup or delivery service on Labor Day, although UPS Express Critical remains available for urgent shipments. UPS Store locations may be closed or operating on reduced hours, and customers are advised to check local listings before heading out.

FedEx draws a similar but slightly more complex line. Its 2026 holiday operations schedule lists FedEx and FedEx Freight as closed on Labor Day. FedEx Office has modified hours, with some locations closed entirely, while FedEx Custom Critical continues to operate. Again, the small print is doing a lot of work here, so individual branches need to be checked online.

Banking is more patchwork. Labor Day is one of the holidays observed by the Federal Reserve, and many bank branches follow suit by closing their high‑street locations on Monday. However, private banks set their own branch schedules, so some may open on limited hours.

ATMs and online or mobile banking services generally remain available, though certain deposits and transactions will only be processed on the next business day. It is not that the system stops, more that it slows.

On Wall Street, the picture is straightforward. The New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq are closed for regular trading on Monday, 7 September, and are scheduled to reopen on Tuesday, 8 September, in line with their published holiday calendars. Other forms of financial trading can continue in different markets, but ordinary US stock investors will find the main boards dark for the day.

Which Supermarkets and Restaurants Are Open on Labor Day?

In grocery retail, Labor Day is still a busy shopping day rather than a shutdown. Most major supermarket chains are open, although many flag that hours can be reduced or altered for the holiday. Kroger stores are generally open, but the company notes that pharmacy and in‑store clinic hours may differ from the main store.

Other big food retailers, including Walmart, Publix, Trader Joe's and Meijer, are operating on Labor Day according to current company information, giving shoppers plenty of scope for last‑minute burgers, buns and all the other stuff that somehow did not make it into the trolley first time round. The consistent message from these chains is to check local holiday hours on their websites or apps before you leave home.

Wholesale clubs take a mixed approach. Sam's Club's published schedule lists Labor Day as a trading day, with warehouses open from 8am to 8pm for Plus members and from 9am to 8pm for Club members. Those times apply to member access, and individual clubs may still tweak opening or closing slightly, so the company still advises checking local details.

Costco, by contrast, is closed. The company includes Labor Day on its short list of core US holiday shutdowns, and warehouses will not open on Monday. For shoppers used to filling the boot with bulk hot dogs and giant packs of paper plates, that is one run that has to be planned for another day.

Restaurants are more likely to be serving than not, but the details matter. Many locations of large fast‑food and coffee chains, including McDonald's, Starbucks, Chipotle, Chick‑fil‑A, Dunkin and Wendy's, are scheduled to open on Labor Day, often with near‑normal hours.

Because so many outlets are franchised or independently operated, however, corporate sites repeatedly warn that opening times are set locally. The safe move is to confirm on each chain's app rather than assume your usual branch is operating as normal.

On the broader retail front, Labor Day continues to be a major sales moment. Big‑box and speciality chains such as Home Depot, Lowe's, Best Buy, IKEA, Target, TJ Maxx and Bass Pro Shop are generally open and promoting Labor Day offers, based on their current holiday information. The precise opening times and the scale of any discounts depend heavily on the branch and region.

Across almost every sector, the same caveat keeps appearing in the small print: hours vary by location and can change at short notice. For all the convenience and deals on offer, the most reliable way to avoid a wasted holiday trip is still the least glamorous: check your local store or restaurant online before you get in the car.