Heads up, Target shoppers! If you’re looking to do some last-minute shopping for Thanksgiving dinner, do it before Thursday. The retail giant recently announced that it will no longer be open on Thanksgiving.
Many big-box retailers decided to close their stores for Thanksgiving. This started last year. At the time, it was due to the then-raging pandemic. They wanted to keep their customers and employees safe. At the same time, companies hoped to reduce the stress of Thanksgiving shopping. However, it seems that some retailers have decided to continue this trend. Target and Walmart have both announced that they’ll be closed for the holiday for the second year in a row.
However, for Target, this isn’t a temporary thing. The retailer will no longer open on Thanksgiving, according to The Associated Press. Earlier today, the news outlet obtained a note to employees of the retail giant. In that note, the company’s CEO, Brian Cornell, wrote “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.”
This extends to Target’s retail employees. However, their call centers and distribution centers will still be staffed on the holiday.
Reasons for Target’s ‘New Standard’
First, we’ll look at the brass tacks. Last year, retail sales numbers during November and December were up 8.2%, according to data from The National Retail Federation obtained by The Associated Press. The trade organization predicts that this year’s sales will be even higher. Last year, Target and many other retailers closed stores for the holidays in the face of the pandemic. So, they’re banking on repeated success.
Target and other retailers started opening on Thanksgiving about a decade ago. They did so in hopes of competing with Amazon and other online competition. However, opening on Thanksgiving seemed to cannibalize Black Friday profits. Also, many retailers now offer online shopping to rival Amazon and other browser-based stores.
Additionally, retailers that decided to open stores on Thanksgiving received backlash for the decision. Critics said that the corporations were prioritizing profits over their employees’ family time by forcing them to work over the holiday that usually includes large family gatherings.
Target may be at the forefront of a nationwide shift. If profits are as high as The National Retail Federation predicts, the big-box chain could show its competitors that they don’t have to take their employees away from their families on the holiday to rake in money. Additionally, Target holds a large portion of the retail market. As a result, they have the ability to set trends in the industry.
Target and other big-box stores will be open for business-as-usual on Black Friday this year. As a result, employees will get a day with their families and customers won’t need to dash out the door after their holiday feast.
