Capitalizing on the most wonderful day of the year (Dec. 23)

As the holidays approach, a handful of major grocers and retails – including some in Canada – are extending their hours in a bid to maximize Christmas sales.

Walmart Canada today announced it will operate 200 of its 373 stores around the clock this month.

Across the pond, Tesco Extra and Superstore formats, and select Sainsbury's, Waitrose and Asda are either extending their hours or keeping their doors open 24 hours a day.

Walmart has been burning the midnight oil around the holidays for a few years now. The reason, said chief operations officer Jim Thompson, is last-minute shoppers.

“Our research shows that customers are waiting to complete their Christmas purchases,” he noted. “So we expect our marathon shopping to be very well received this year."

Another potential motivation: Dec. 23 is widely regarded the busiest day of the year for food shopping.

With that auspicious date only a few weeks away, retailers’ extended hours are no doubt an attempt to capitalize on consumers’ food-happy spirit.