You may have noticed in the last few years, that Black Friday has gone from a one day extreme retail sale event, starting as early as 6AM the day after Thanksgiving, to a weekend event, capped off by Cyber Monday. You don’t hear anyone complaining about the all-time low prices, making their way strategically onto the calendar just before the winter holidays, but a new trend in store hours has caused some controversy.
A couple of years ago, major stores like Target, Dillard’s, Walmart and Macys have started opening Thanksgiving night with 50%, 60% and even 70% off sticker prices, until late in the midnight hours. Door buster deals like 60” flat screen TVs for $199 incentivize customers to be the early bird and camp out on the holiday for a good deal later in the evening or even the next morning. Some would argue that this time should be spent with family. Some might agree, and solve their moral dilemma by simply piling into the SUV for a 10pm Target shopping spree together for much needed sweaters, scarfs and winter boots. The extreme deals can even be a chance for parents usually struggling to afford that item at the top of their child’s gift list.
The real “deal breaker” (see what I did there?) for some is the dutiful retail worker, who shouldn’t be presented with the new dilemma of choosing between extra pay or appeasing their supervisor, in exchange for less time spent with their loved ones.
We are in split camps here in our own office, so we won’t sound off on which hours encroach on meaningful holiday time, but we wanted to provide some guidance on what you can expect for deals and store hours this Thanksgiving Day, on Thursday, November 27th through Cyber Monday November 30th.
2015 Thanksgiving and Black Friday Store Closings
According to our research on 2015 Black Friday retail trends, most big chain stores are opening as early as 6 p.m. on Thursday evening, however, there are now at least over 20 shops locking their doors for the holiday. We will list them for you in just a minute.
For those of you in a state panic, don’t worry, all of these stores will be open for Black Friday, with just one exception.
REI decided to take a stand this year and close for Thanksgiving and Black Friday. Here is a statement that can be found on their website:
“We’ll be closing all 143 of our stores and paying our employees to head outside,” said Jerry Stritzke, REI CEO and President. “We believe that being outside makes our lives better. And Black Friday is the perfect time to remind ourselves of this essential truth. We’re a different kind of company—and while the rest of the world is fighting it out in the aisles, we’ll be spending our day a little differently. We’re choosing to opt outside, and want you to come with us.”
DSW will be closed Thanksgiving and issued this statement
“While many retail stores will be opening for business on Thanksgiving Day, this year we continue the DSW tradition of keeping ours closed. Family time is extremely important to us, and we want our associates to enjoy the holiday with their loved ones. Our stores will remain closed until 7 a.m. on Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving.”.
Like the shoe store, many retail shops have fought the new “Black Thursday” trend in support of encouraging employees to spend time with family during the holidays.
Here are a couple of stores you wont be able to visit this Thanksgiving.
- H&M
- Nordstrom
- DSW
- TJ Maxx
- Pier 1 Imports
- Patagonia
- Marshalls
- Crate & Barrel
- Barnes and Noble
- Burlington Coat Factory
- Sur La Table
Check here for the full list.
http://mentalfloss.com/article/59725/22-stores-refuse-open-thanksgiving
Whether you spend your day camping out for a free flat screen, or gathering with friends and family around a Turkey, we hope you enjoy a safe, healthy and grateful thanksgiving.
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