SANTEE, CA — Most grocery stores in and around Santee will be closed on Wednesday, so you need to plan ahead to get everything you need for holiday meals, whether Christmas Dinner or the first night of Hanukkah, also on Wednesday.
People who don’t plan ahead may have to settle for finishing the meal with ingredients they can find at a convenience store. Fortunately, several will be open on Christmas Day, although hours may be limited. Among those chains with stores in California are 7-Eleven, Circle K and Speedway.
A handful of drugstores will be open on Christmas Day. Most 24-hour Walgreens stores will be open as usual and others may be open for limited hours on Christmas Day. Rite Aid’s 24-hour stores will close at 9 p.m. on Christmas Eve and remain closed on Christmas Day. Most CVS locations will be open from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Christmas Day, and 24-hour stores will be open as usual. In all cases, call ahead for pharmacy hours.
Popular chains in California like Target, Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s will all be closed on Christmas Day.
Many grocery stores will close early on Christmas Eve, and hours may vary by location, so it’s a good idea to check with your local store before making a trip. Here’s what we know about grocery and related store hours for Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day:
Find out what's happening in Santeefor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Albertsons: Stores will be open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Christmas Day, although select stores will be closed. Stores will be open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Christmas Eve but hours may vary by location. Stores will be open as usual on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.
Aldi: Stores will close at 4 p.m. on Christmas Eve and remain closed on Christmas Day. Stores also close early on New Year’s Eve but are open regular hours on New Year’s Day.
Costco: Stores are closed on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. The member wholesale stores are open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Christmas Eve and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on New Year’s Eve.
Gelson’s: Most Gelson’s will be open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Christmas Eve and will close on Christmas Day. On New Year’ Day, most stores will be open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Food4Less: Stores close at 8 p.m. (fuel centers at 7 p.m.) on Christmas Eve and remain closed on Christmas Day. Stores are open regular hours on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.
Kroger: Stores are open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Christmas Eve and closed on Christmas Day. Stores are open for normal business hours on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.
Ralphs: All stores close at 10 p.m. on Christmas Eve and are closed on Christmas Day. Most pharmacies will close at 5 p.m. on Christmas Eve.
Sam’s Club: The member wholesale stores close at 6 p.m. on Christmas Eve and remain closed on Christmas Day.
Safeway: Store hours vary on Christmas Eve, with some opening as early as 5 a.m. and closing as late as 8 p.m. Stores are closed on Christmas Day and open as usual on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.
Target: Stores close at 8 p.m. on Christmas Eve and remain closed on Christmas Day. Stores are open regular hours on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.
Trader Joe’s: Stores are open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Christmas Eve and closed on Christmas Day. Stores are open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on New Year’s Eve and closed on New Year’s Eve.
Walmart: Stores are open until 6 p.m. on Christmas Eve and closed on Christmas Day. Stores are open regular hours on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.
Whole Foods: Most stores are open for modified hours on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Day. All locations are closed on Christmas Day.
Vons: Most Vons will be open from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Christmas Eve and stores will be open from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Christmas Day.
This list was curated from store websites, Patch emails, Simply Recipes, Pioneer Woman and Parade.