List of Stores Closed on Thanksgiving Day

 

Instead of returning to open doors on Thanksgiving, many retailers are holding the line and announcing they’ll stay closed on Turkey Day (Nov. 25 this year). And that’s the right move, 68% of U.S. shoppers say stores should be closed on Thanksgiving, according to RetailMeNot’s 2021 holiday survey. See which stores below that will remain shuttered on Thanksgiving Day 2021 from RetailMeNot.

Belk Belk confirmed via its Black Friday ad on Nov. 1 that it will stay closed on Thanksgiving Day (although deals will be available online) and will reopen on Black Friday at 7 a.m. Belk’s Black Friday deals start even earlier, though, on Nov. 19 (and run through Nov. 27). Best Buy Best Buy announced back in June it would be closed on Thanksgiving. While it hasn’t announced its Black Friday opening time, it has revealed that it will begin its Black Friday sale a week before the actual day — on Nov. 19. It will also be launching early deals throughout November. BJ’s Wholesale Club BJ’s will stay closed on Thanksgiving for the 15th year in a row, according to an Oct. 12 press release. The chain has also confirmed its Black Friday opening time: 7 a.m. In-store shopping will include a “treasure-hunt experience” on Nov. 26, per the press release. But early Black Friday deals will start much sooner, with savings starting Nov. 4 and running through Nov. 29. Those deals will be shoppable here when they go live. Costco No surprises here. Costco has always stayed closed on Thanksgiving, even prior to COVID-19. It’s also one of the only major retailers that close on other federal holidays like New Year’s Day and Labor Day. Dick’s Sporting Goods Long a member of the Open on Thanksgiving club, Dick’s Sporting Goods closed for Thanksgiving 2020 and announced back in February it would close stores and distribution centers for Thanksgiving 2021. Stores will open back up for Black Friday, but no hours have been announced. JCPenney In years past, JCPenney used to be one of the earliest to open on Thanksgiving (as early as 2 p.m.). But stores stayed closed in 2020, and JCPenney has confirmed it will be closed once again on Thanksgiving for 2021. Stores will re-open at 5 a.m. for Black Friday shoppers. Kohl’s Kohl’s will be closed on Thanksgiving 2021, the retailer confirmed in a press release back in June. But it promises online deals on Kohl’s.com and via the Kohl’s app. Macy’s Macy’s will be closed on Thanksgiving, the retailer announced in an Oct. 25 press release. It also announced its Black Friday store hours — 6 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. For those who want to shop early, Macy’s will kick off select Black Friday deals on Nov. 3, with all deals going live online Nov. 23 to 27. REI The outdoor and sporting goods store will be closed on Thanksgiving AND Black Friday this year. That’s typical for REI — it’s remained closed on both days for seven years in a row (while still paying its employees) and encourages shoppers to #OptOutside instead. Target Target was the first retailer to officially confirm (back in January) that it will remain closed on Thanksgiving 2021. Its reasoning? Customers preferred it, according to its press release confirming the closure. Walmart Walmart’s Black Friday sale is one of the most anticipated every year. But stores won’t be open on Thanksgiving in 2021. Walmart announced in June that all its stores will be closed on Nov. 25 as a thank-you to its associates. Expect deals to be shoppable online on Turkey Day, however. Walmart also shared that it is going to be offering some early Black Friday sales throughout, November, with deals dropping in stores at 5 a.m. on Nov. 5 and 12. Sam’s Club Sam’s Club will be closed on Thanksgiving (that’s nothing new — it stayed closed on Turkey Day even before the pandemic). On Black Friday, it will keep its regular hours, opening at 10 a.m. for regular soppers and at 8 a.m. for Plus members. However, Black Friday deals (Sam’s Club calls them Thankssavings deals) will be live online on Thanksgiving. Simon Malls Simon Properties, which owns 168 malls and outlets in the U.S., announced on Oct. 8 it would keep all its domestic properties closed on Thanksgiving Day 2021. Properties will open back up for Black Friday. Department stores attached to malls (think Macy’s), can do their own thing, as they generally have their own exterior entrances. However, stores inside the closed malls will remain closed.

Stores Open on Thanksgiving 2021 While we expect most retailers to be closed on Thanksgiving this year, a few are traditionally open every year and stayed open on Thanksgiving Day 2020 — though some operated at reduced hours. While they might not be offering doorbusters on Thanksgiving, you can expect the following to be open for pharmacy needs, groceries and more: Albertsons Bass Pro Shops (was open last year on Thanksgiving) Big Lots CVS Cabela’s (was open last year on Thanksgiving) Dollar General Family Dollar Giant Harris Teeter HEB Hy-Vee Kroger Meijer Rite Aid Safeway Sprouts Farmers Market Starbucks Walgreens Wegmans Whole Foods Why Are Stores Closing on Thanksgiving This Year? A variety of factors are compelling stores to remain closed. First off, with the pandemic still an issue, encouraging shoppers to cram into stores on a national holiday (especially a holiday associated with family) simply isn’t a good look — or a safe move. Second, the retail industry and its employees are feeling the full effect of this year’s ongoing worker shortages. Many of the stores remaining closed are citing “giving their employees a day off” as the reason for their decision to close their doors on Turkey Day. Finally, retailers don’t have much to lose (except maybe some hype) by closing on Thanksgiving. Last year, with the pandemic in full swing, Thanksgiving online spending broke records. If retailers can keep popular items in stock this year, shoppers will likely be more than happy to shop online on Turkey Day.