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Black Friday 2016: Thanksgiving Closures For Over 40 Stores — Will Walmart, Best Buy, Or Target Join The List?

By Phillip Dengler
Published on: 07:00 PST, Oct 6, 2016

While it is still only October, Black Friday is already on their minds of many Americans. With an uncertain economy, it is more important than ever to ensure you are getting the best possible prices for your holiday purchases.

In recent years, many major retailers have been opening their doors on Thanksgiving Day. While this offers shoppers another opportunity to enjoy deep discounts, there are a few drawbacks. In addition to hundreds of thousands of retail workers being forced to spend Thanksgiving away from their friends and families, it also puts additional pressure on shoppers to show up at their favorite store on Turkey Day in order to not miss any discounts.

While many stores will be open on Thanksgiving this year, others are pushing back. As of today, over 40 retailers have already confirmed their plans to close on Thanksgiving Day 2016, and many more could be joining them, as reported by BestBlackFriday.com.

Disclaimer: The author, Phillip Dengler, is the owner of BestBlackFriday.com, which is referenced in this article. The Inquisitr holds no ownership.

Here is the current list.

  • A.C. Moore
  • American Girl
  • AT&T (Customer Service Closed; Select Retail Locations Closed)
  • Barnes & Noble
  • Bed Bath & Beyond (Select Locations)
  • BJ’s Wholesale Club
  • Burlington
  • Cabela’s (Retail closed; Call Centers Open)
  • Christmas Tree Shops (Select Locations)
  • Costco
  • Crate and Barrel
  • Dillard’s
  • GameStop
  • Gardner-White Furniture
  • Guitar Center
  • Hobby Lobby
  • Home Depot
  • HomeGoods
  • IKEA
  • Jo-Ann Fabric & Craft Stores
  • Lowe’s
  • Mall of America
  • Marshalls
  • Mattress Firm
  • Menards
  • Neiman Marcus
  • Nordstrom (non-store employees working )
  • Outdoor Research
  • P.C. Richard & Son
  • Patagonia
  • Petco
  • PetSmart
  • Pier 1 Imports
  • Publix
  • Raymour and Flanagan Furniture
  • Sam’s Club
  • Sierra Trading Post
  • Staples
  • The Container Store
  • T.J. Maxx
  • Tractor Supply
  • Von Maur

Why Are Stores Closing on Thanksgiving?

Every retailer has their own reasons for making the difficult decision to close on Thanksgiving, but it appears as though the employees are the top factor. In speaking to over 40 stores, the common theme has been “so employees and customers can spend Thanksgiving with their friends and families.” Other stores told us the reason is so their Black Friday sale can receive more of the focus this year.

Regardless of the reason, there are countless groups attempting to raise awareness and force more stores to close on Thanksgiving. One such group is called Boycott Black Thursday. With nearly 140,000 likes on Facebook, their followers believe that every store should be closed on Thanksgiving and the day should not be spent shopping.

While some stores are still holding firm, it appears their efforts are causing real change among retailers. As the Star Tribune reported, the Mall of America, which is the largest mall in the United States, will be closed on Thanksgiving. They first opened on Thanksgiving in 2012, and they have been opening earlier every year since.

Even though the mall will be closed, the over 500 stores located inside the mall will have the option to open, according to the Los Angeles Times. If stores do decide to open, select security and maintenance workers may be called to work on Thanksgiving. Regardless, it is believed that most of the stores will remain closed and up to 14,000 employees will be able to spend the holiday with their friends and families.

What About Stores Like Walmart, Best Buy, and Target?

While more stores are likely to close on Thanksgiving, it is unlikely that Walmart, Best Buy, and Target join the list — there is just too much competition. In addition to those stores, Kohl’s, Kmart, Sears, and Macy’s are all likely to remain open on Thanksgiving. The general opening time is usually around 6 p.m., but Kmart has been known to offer doorbusters as early as 6 a.m. on Thanksgiving morning.

Stores that remain closed on Thanksgiving should still have online sales and doorbusters, so you will have an opportunity to shop on their websites if you want to take advantage of their deals.

[Featured Image by Joshua Lott/Getty Images]

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