Bosses at Primark have announced they want to open some stores 24 hours a day when lockdown is lifted.

The chain, which has stores in Norwich and King’s Lynn, said it would also like to see Sunday trading hours extended to help recover losses from the second lockdown.

George Weston, chief executive of Primark parent company Associated British Foods, said: “In some locations we could even open 24 hours. We know the demand is going to be there.”

Whether or not Primark would need to gain licensing approval to make such a move remains to be seen.

Mr Weston also said launching online was not an option: “I don’t think click-and-collect would work. We have a high footfall, low price model. The logistics would be very difficult.”

MORE: Long queues for Primark in pre-lockdown shopping rush

The news comes following an update on Monday when Primark warned that the latest closures are expected to result in a £375 million loss of sales ahead of the key Christmas period.

On Tuesday, it told investors it lost around £800 million during the three-month closure from March, as it continued to pay suppliers.

Nevertheless, it reported that sales gradually recovered after the closure period, with sales of children’s clothes, leisurewear and nightwear surpassing pre-Covid levels.

ABF finance chief John Bason has also leant his support to the longer opening hours, saying: “We are absolutely looking at longer opening hours.

“Safety will be paramount and our teams have worked very well to deal with demand and ensure queue management so will continue to work hard to adapt to demand ahead of Christmas.”