Most large U.S. retailers and restaurant chains will operate on Independence Day, giving consumers ample last-minute shopping and dining options. Target, Walmart, Home Depot and Lowe’s plan to keep regular hours, while Sam’s Club will shut two to four hours earlier than usual depending on membership tier. Major grocery banners including Kroger-owned stores, Publix, Aldi, Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, Food Lion and Wegmans also intend to open, though several warn that local hours may be shortened. Costco will be the notable exclusion: the membership warehouse club confirms all U.S. locations are closed on Friday. In the restaurant sector, McDonald’s, Starbucks, Dunkin’ and Chick-fil-A expect to serve customers, and most Subway outlets are likely to open at franchise discretion; Chipotle will close company-owned stores at 3 p.m. Banks, post offices and U.S. equity markets are closed for the federal holiday. Travel volumes are set to be heavy. AAA projects a record 72.2 million Americans will take trips of at least 50 miles between 28 June and 6 July, up about 10% from the pre-pandemic 2019 period. AAA expects 61.6 million to travel by car and 5.8 million by air, advising motorists to check vehicles before setting out.