One of the worst ideas U.S. retailers ever had was to open stores on Thanksgiving Day. In the 2010s, retailers started unlocking their doors earlier and earlier — at midnight, at 8 p.m. on Thanksgiving, then in the afternoon on Turkey Day, ripping workers and customers away from family in an effort to make a bit more money. Almost overnight, a holiday in which Americans ostensibly gave thanks for what they had morphed into one where people trample each other for more stuff at discount.
In 2022, it’s a different story. Most major U.S. retailers will be closed on Thanksgiving Day. Target says this is a permanent change and that it won’t open again on the holiday. Walmart, too. “It’s a thing of the past, we’ll be closed on Thanksgiving,” Walmart U.S. chief executive John Furner said recently.
Why the about-face? Partly, this reflects how the pandemic changed the way people shop. For much of 2020, millions of people didn’t want to go into brick-and-mortar stores, even for a deal. Americans of all ages became expert online shoppers. On top of that, supply-chain drama and delays prompted shoppers to hunt for gifts earlier. The notion of having a make-or-break Black Friday weekend for sales suddenly seemed extremely risky, especially if stores might not have much merchandise in stock. Now, deals typically start earlier and last longer.
“The entire Black Friday weekend has become less impactful,” said Mark Mathews, the National Retail Federation’s vice president of research development and industry analysis. “There’s also been a change in mind-set from consumers to, ‘I’m going to get those deals, even if I don’t go out on Black Friday.’ ”
[Good. We all wised up, in other words. — Ed]
Join the conversation as a VIP Member