News

Macy's, Target opening late Thanksgiving Day

Retailers are taking various stances in regards to opening stores, online and offline, on Thanksgiving.

November 10, 2015

Not every mega retailer is giving its employees a Thanksgiving holiday and that list includes Target and Macy’s, both of which will open at 6 p.m. on the holiday.

Also opening the evening of Thanksgiving will be Sears and toy retailer Toys R Us will open its doors one hour earlier, at 5 p.m., according to a USA Today report.

The news comes within a few weeks of several big retailers announcing they will not be open on the annual holiday and opting to bank on Black Friday as the big sales focus. Office supply retailer Staples will be closed completely though its online consumer site will be open. Outdoor retailer REI is closing on Black Friday.

The decision to be open is a financial one, according to Bill Martin, ShopperTrak founder and senior vice president. He told USA Today that the move is all about money and that some retailers haven’t seen value in opening very late on Thanksgiving in the past.

According to Accenture research, 50 percent of consumers plan to shop on Thanksgiving, and that figure is nearly evenly divided between online and brick-and-mortar.

In the meantime the past week has seen a flurry of "pre-Black Friday" sales starting both online, notably at Amazon’s ecommerce site, as well as Walmart’s online shopping center.

As Retail Customer Experience has reported. industry watchers expect consumers to spend more on gifts this holiday season and spend more time shopping online.