A positive development: Employees get time off and customers can step back from the shopping madness.Nothing says the holidays quite like joining a mob of shoppers for a midnight run for a “doorbuster” sale.
At least that’s the way it’s been in recent years, as families gathering around the Thanksgiving table rush out to the mall for some bargain shopping almost as soon as the table is cleared.
There are signs, though, that that mentality is changing as more and more retailers are electing to close their doors on Thanksgiving, and even on Black Friday.
The outdoor retailer REI is leading that movement. For the third year in a row it will be closing its 151 stores on both Thanksgiving and Black Friday.
In a statement to the press, REI said that it won’t process any online sales and will pay all 12,000 of its employees.
“We are doing this again to unite people and to find common ground in the outdoors,” said REI CEO Jerry Stritzke. “Right now, I think people are looking for a moment to take a breath, reground themselves and come together.”
BestBlackFriday.com is keeping a running tally of stores that will close, and this year it notes that a few stores (Sears Hometown Stores, Stein Mart and Shoe Carnival) that were open on Thanksgiving have announced that they will close this year.
The list is subject to change, and some stores have yet to announce whether they will be closing. The website is also keeping a list of those retailers who have opted to stay open on Thanksgiving.
Read more:
Ideas list: Make your Christmas shopping a support for religious communities
As of now, here are the stores that are closed on Thanksgiving:
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- C. Moore
- Abt Electronics
- Academy Sports + Outdoors
- Ace Hardware
- At Home
- Babies R Us
- BJ’s Wholesale Club
- Blain’s Farm and Fleet
- Burlington
- Cost Plus World Market
- Costco
- Craft Warehouse
- Crate and Barrel
- Dillard’s
- dressbarn
- DSW – Designer Shoe Warehouse
- Ethan Allen
- Gardner-White Furniture
- Guitar Center
- H&M
- Half Price Books
- Harbor Freight
- Hobby Lobby
- Home Depot
- HomeGoods
- Homesense
- IKEA
- JOANN Fabric and Craft Stores
- A. Bank
- La-Z-Boy (all corporately owned stores)
- Lowe’s
- Marshalls
- Mattress Firm
- Micro Center
- Mills Fleet Farm
- Music & Arts
- Neiman Marcus
- Nordstrom
- Nordstrom Rack
- Office Depot and OfficeMax
- Outdoor Research (closed Black Friday too)
- C. Richard & Son
- Party City
- Patagonia
- Petco
- PetSmart
- Pier 1 Imports
- Publix
- Raymour & Flanigan Furniture
- REI (closed Black Friday too)
- Sam’s Club
- Sears Hometown Stores
- Sears Outlet
- Shoe Carnival
- Sierra Trading Post
- Sportsman’s Warehouse
- Sprint (Corporate & Dealer Owned Stores; Mall Kiosks May Open)
- Staples
- Stein Mart
- Sur La Table
- The Container Store
- The Original Mattress Factory
- TJ Maxx
- Tractor Supply
- Trollbeads
- Von Maur
- West Marine
