News

Half of Americans opposed to stores being open on Thanksgiving

Iconic retailer Macy's plans to launch Black Friday shopping at 6 o'clock Thanksgiving evening, down from 8 p.m. last year, and from midnight in 2011. Other retailers are following suit and even one-upping in the case of JCPenney's 5 p.m. opening.

November 11, 2014

The latest LoyaltyOne research shows there are three kinds of American Thanksgiving Day shoppers:

• 50 percent who say all-day shopping hours on Thanksgiving Day are a bad idea that detracts from the traditional celebration;
• 33 percent who say stores being open all day Thanksgiving is a great idea that provides more time for holiday gift shopping;
• 17 percent who can’t make up their mind.

In the all-important millennial demographic (ages 18-34), attitudes about stores being open all day on Thanksgiving shift dramatically compared to the general population (ages 18-55+). No less than 50 percent of consumers age 18-24 say all-day shopping on Thanksgiving is a great idea. That support dropped only slightly to 48 percent in the 25-34 year-old age group.

Iconic retailer Macy’s plans to launch Black Friday shopping at 6 o’clock Thanksgiving evening, down from 8 p.m. last year, and from midnight in 2011. Other retailers are following suit and even one-upping in the case of JCPenney’s 5 p.m. opening.

"Savvy retailers put the customer at the center of all their decisions," said Fred Thompson, LoyaltyOne retail practice leader. "Although opening on Thanksgiving Day may lead to incremental sales that day, retailers could risk upsetting their most loyal customers who routinely shop their stores year-round. Retailers should identify who their best customers are and respond with Thanksgiving and Black Friday sales strategies accordingly."

Some other key findings from the research based on various consumer segments include:

• 37 percent of men say being open all day on Thanksgiving is a great idea, compared with 29 percent of women;
• 16 percent of consumers age 55 and older say that open all day on Thanksgiving is a great idea;
• 40 percent of consumers in the South say all-day store hours on Thanksgiving is a great idea, compared with 32 percent in the West, 29 percent in the Midwest and 26 percent in the Northeast.