Dear Crabby,
I hear fewer stores are opening on Thanksgiving this year, is this true, are we getting back to the way things used to be?
Sincerely, Traditional Girl
Dear Traditional Girl,
If only, we could get back to the way things used to be. Seems things change quickly in the wrong direction and slowly in the right ones. But you are correct. More stores will be closing this year than in previous years.
In recent years, during the recession, retail stores were looking for ways to boost sales as people were spending less. So, they started to open earlier and earlier on Black Friday to eventually they started to open on Thanksgiving Day. This is a horrible thing to do – as I’ve said many times before – Turkey Day is for football, parades, family, and of course turkey! People like us revolted and took a stand, we said we would stop shopping these stores. Labor unions pushed back. Small Business Saturday got more attention. And Cyber Monday continued to do better and better.
The bottom line is the bottom line. From what I hear, so much business has gone to online sales that many of the retail stores found that opening on Thanksgiving just didn’t make sense. We like to think we have a say in this, but the stores found that what in-store sales they got on Thursday were only taking away from sales they would have made on Black Friday, so why open on the holiday. Thank Goodness they figured that out.
I remember when just one drugstore per town was open on holidays like Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter. It forced us to take a break, relax, spend time with family – we need more of that today. I recall the family piling into dad’s car to visit relatives on a holiday and stopping for gas or something, we’d say “Wow, this place is open.” It was novelty-like. Now we say things like, “What, they’re closed, but I need socks today!”
So yes, more stores are back to closing on Thanksgiving Day. Here are some confirmed to be closing on Turkey Day!
- DSW
- Nordstrom
- Costco
- Neiman Marcus
- Home Goods
- Marshalls
- Pier 1 Imports
- T.J. Maxx
- Staples (used to open on Thanksgiving)
- The Home Depot (also closed on Christmas Day)
- REI (also closed on Black Friday and paying employees for both days)
That’s great about REI – they have three stores in Michigan – they’re doing the right thing and encouraging their employees and customers to get outside (they are a sporting goods and outdoor business after all). I suggest when you shop these stores you thank them for closing on the holiday.
So, while I don’t think we’ll ever get back the way things used to be, this a good, slow move in the right direction.
Hope that’s helps you out Traditional Girl.
Sincerely, Dear Crabby
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