Columbus Day 2016: Is Costco Or Sam’s Open? Latest Store Hours And Thanksgiving Closing Update

With Columbus Day 2016 arriving on Monday, October 9, some businesses will be closed. Those could select retailers or wholesale clubs. Many people will be wondering if Costco is open on Columbus Day and if so, what their store hours will be. Also, there’s been recent news regarding the wholesale club observing the Thanksgiving holiday, which has been a recent trend for stores with the annual holiday.

Just recently, Syracuse.com reported on stores closing for Thanksgiving. The holiday is considered a big deal for some retailers such as Walmart, Target, and Toys R Us, all of whom have been open to begin their big “Black Friday” sales deals. The report mentions that Costco will be closed along with many other retailers on Thanksgiving Day for 2016. Costco’s official website also mentions this is one of the holidays they close for. The store was closed last month for Labor Day and will also be closed on Christmas. However, Columbus Day is not on their list.

For those wondering, Sam’s Club will also be open for the holiday. Their official website lists store hours and all of the calendar holidays. Sam’s will be closed on both Thanksgiving and Christmas, just like Costco. Customers will be happy to know that if they’ve got a day off, they can get their shopping done at either of warehouse clubs.

The Costco wholesale website lists Monday hours of 10 a.m. through 8:30 p.m. while Sam’s Club lists similar hours for club members on their website, with an exception. Sam’s Club Plus or Business members can enjoy early shopping hours between 7 a.m. and 10 a.m. Monday through Friday.

While the Costco warehouse website isn’t listing any particular deals exclusive to Monday, their latest coupon book shows a variety of deals available through October 23. These include electronics such as televisions, printers, laptops, phones as well as certain appliances and everyday household needs. It’s unknown if the store will unveil any special deals for the Monday holiday but as of right now it appears they may only offer what’s advertised online or in their latest booklet.

Of note, Columbus Day is not a day off for some states. Also, select government offices are closed because it’s considered a federal government holiday. As for post offices, customers will need to check with their local office for information about whether they or opened or closed Monday. Also, the brutal Hurricane Matthew that recently affected the Atlantic Coast may have also caused disruptions in post office services for some areas. These may include coastal areas in Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina.

The Columbus Day holiday has come under scrutiny by various groups. There are some groups or states who are looking to rename the day as “Indigenous Peoples’ Day” or “Native American Day” instead. This is being done to take away the celebration of explorer Christopher Columbus and instead honor the people and cultures here before his and the Europeans’ arrival. That is said to include Native Americans. According to a recent NPR article, the state of Vermont and city of Phoenix have both joined the list of places to change the holiday’s name and others were already there.

Seattle and Minneapolis are also amongst cities that have adopted similar laws, but Phoenix is now the largest US city to do so. In Cincinnati, the city council rejected the move to rename the day. However, South Dakota may deserve the most credit for this move to change the holiday, as they were the only state honoring the Native American people and cultures that were here before the Europeans’ arrival.

For now, many cities and states are still referring to it as Columbus Day. Stores that are open will also look to take advantage of many people having a day off and will offer sales deals. As Fortune mentions in their report about Columbus Day sales, some of the biggest and best deals will come via Walmart, Amazon, and Bed Bath & Beyond stores. Many of these sales will involve clearance items being marked down. However, seasoned shoppers will be able to find those top deals with a bit of research online and checking their nearby stores.

[Featured Image by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images]