Target to Keep Stores Closed on Thanksgiving for Good

By Peyton Phillips November 22, 2021

Kohl's and Walmart will be closed this Thursday, too, but are unsure of the future of the holiday.

Target will no longer open its doors on Thanksgiving Day, making permanent a shift to the unofficial start of the holiday season which was suspended during the pandemic.

In order to limit in-person crowds in stores last year, retailers had to transform Black Friday into a much longer event, with many holiday discounts beginning as early as October. With the change, U.S. holiday sales rose 8.2% in November and December of last year, according to The National Retail Federation. The Federation predicts 2021 could shatter that record, growing between 8.5% and 10.5%.

“What started as a temporary measure driven by the pandemic is now our new standard — one that recognizes our ability to deliver on our guests’ holiday wishes both within and well beyond store hours,” Target CEO Brian Cornell wrote in a note to employees. “You don’t have to wonder whether this is the last Thanksgiving you’ll spend with family and friends for a while, because Thanksgiving store hours are one thing we won’t ‘get back to’ when the pandemic finally subsides.”

Kohl’s and Walmart will also be closed on Thanksgiving Day, but Walmart is unsure on the future of the holiday’s hours — Kohl’s declined to comment.

Image source: New York Post