A MAJOR store with branches in York is preparing to launch its longest-ever opening hours for the final shopping days before Christmas.

Two thirds of M&S stores, including the Vangarde branch, will be open until midnight from December 21 to 23 which are traditionally their busiest days.

The move is to ensure staff and customers have the time and space they need to socially distance.

This will be the first time ever that the majority of their stores will be open until midnight to give customers that extra time to grab groceries and final gifts for the big day.

Last year just 15 stores offered a midnight closing time, compared to around 400 this year.

A spokesman confirmed the York Vangarde M&S store would be open until midnight from December 21 to 23, while the city centre store will be open until 10pm, and the branch at York Designer Outlet will be open until 8pm.

People can also book a time to shop to avoid queuing outside.

Sacha Berendji, M&S’s retail, operations and property director, said: “We want our customers to be able to shop with confidence this Christmas, which means supporting social distancing in our stores and minimal queueing outside as the weather gets colder.

"To help with this, our Sparks Book & Shop service is now live at every store and we’ll be operating our longest ever opening hours just before Christmas to help customers purchase everything they need to make the big day special - however they are celebrating - whether it’s picking up the turkey, or collecting a last minute present they’ve ordered online.

"Along with the wider industry, we continue to ask for Sunday trading hours to be extended to help us increase our capacity to serve everyone safely this festive season.”

M&S's shopping reservation tool Sparks Book & Shop enables customers to book a time and avoid a potential queue.

To book a slot, customers download the M&S app and click on Sparks Book & Shop or visit www.marksandspencer.com/bookandshop.