Target will not open stores on Thanksgiving day, company announces

Target announced that it will no longer be open on Thanksgiving day.

For the last decade, Target has opened its doors on Thanksgiving day to kick off Black Friday sales. Last year, due to Covid-19 precautions, the company closed on Thanksgiving and expanded their Black Friday sales online.

Target’s revenue from November to December of 2020 smashed 2019’s, increasing between 8.5%-10.5%. This year, the company has chosen to repeat last year’s decision, with hopes of a continued boost in online sales. The company will have “some staffing” at distribution and call centers to maximize the online shopping, but the majority of employees will get the day off to spend with their families and friends.

Target CEO Brian Cornell first alerted employees that the store would be closed on Thanksgiving in an internal memo. “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,” he wrote.

Cornell reportedly visited at least seven Target locations, where he had the opportunity to talk with employees. “Several times, I heard how thankful [employees] were that our stores would once again be closed on Thanksgiving,” he wrote in the memo. “And I knew in that moment that I had an opportunity to send a signal of confidence in the agility we’ve developed as a team over the last couple of years.”

Similarly, Walmart announced in June that it would be closed on Thanksgiving. Walmart said it would be closed “as a ‘thank you’ to associates for their continued hard work during the pandemic.” Best Buy and Home Depot have also announced that they would be closed for the holiday.