Walmart And 4 Other Supermarkets Actually Open On New Year's Day 2026

As the holiday season carries on, it becomes increasingly important to know when your favorite grocery stores are open for business and when to look elsewhere. While we saw a handful of supermarkets actually open on Thanksgiving, and know very few grocers will open during regular hours on Christmas, New Year's is arguably the most uncertain day of the year for store hours. While several grocery stores will be closed on the first day of 2026, some, such as Walmart, will be ready to help you ring in the new year.

Walmart stores will be open from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. on both New Year's Eve and New Year's Day, which many longtime shoppers know is the same 17-hour block of time that the country's largest grocery store chain is open practically every other day of the year. However, a handful of other grocers plan to reduce their hours. If you need to head to the store, here are some additional retailers that will have limited or regular hours on January 1.

While some may hesitate to call Walgreens a proper grocery store, the Chicago-based chain will be open as usual on New Year's Day for all your drugstore needs. This includes 24-hour locations, making it a great pit stop for your after-New Year's Eve activities if you need to grab some milk, microwavable meals, or perhaps some ginger ale and saltine crackers. It's important to note that the chain's pharmacy hours may be reduced for the holiday, so check with your local location to verify if you have a prescription to fill.

Publix has a simple, long-standing policy with holiday hours, with the Southern grocery chain closed on Thanksgiving, Easter, and Christmas Day. It also closes early on Christmas Eve, New Year's Eve, and New Year's Day each year. While this dampens some shoppers' desire to visit the store as the clock nears 10 p.m. — Publix's most common closing time throughout the week — the exact hour that the store closes depends on location, and can be found in-person at your local Publix in the weeks prior to the holidays.

Another destination you can visit on New Year's Day is none other than Winn-Dixie, a chain that has been massively downsizing in recent months. Unlike Publix – its fellow Florida-centric grocery chain — a Winn-Dixie representative confirmed to us here at The Takeout that the store will be open as usual on New Year's Day 2026. Winn-Dixie is typically open from 7 a.m. until 10 p.m. each day, so if your local Winn-Dixie is still open for business, the chain can be a great place to shop for groceries before you head back to work the following week.

Finally, if you're in Illinois this holiday season and looking for a large grocery store full of fresh produce and organic products, Pete's Fresh Market has you covered. Each of the growing chain's 20 locations — which typically open at 7 a.m. — will open two hours later than usual on New Year's Day, accepting customers from 9 a.m. until 9 p.m. While this is a shorter day than New Year's Eve — when Pete's Fresh Market will be open during regular hours — it's more than enough time to start your year off right.