MORRISONS in Nelson has extended its store opening hours after it was inundated with requests from local shoppers.

The Pendle Street store will now open an hour earlier at 7am, and close at 9pm.

New research suggests that shopping during working hours is far less common than in the past, with one in five people regularly shopping outside ‘normal’ weekday hours.

Nearly 20 per cent of shoppers now usually visit a store between 6am and 9am or after 8pm.

Half of early-morning and late-evening shoppers say they prefer these ‘quieter’ times, while 37 per cent claim it better suits their working hours, and one in 20 say they want to put their children to bed before heading to their store.

Asif Qumar, general manager of the Nelson Morrisons, said: “Modern family life, more flexible working hours and busy schedules mean customers want us to be open for longer.

“The extension of our opening hours is one of many changes we are making, to make shopping trips easier at our stores.”