Staples, BJ’s, and even the Mall of America will be closed on Thanksgiving Day, joining a growing cadre of retailers that are resisting Black Friday creep and giving their workers the day off.
“We encourage our customers and employees to enjoy Thanksgiving however they choose, with their families and friends,” said Steve Matyas, president of Staples’ North America retail. Store staff will be further rewarded with a relatively late 6 a.m. start on Black Friday proper.
For BJ’s, the No. 3 wholesale club will mark its 10th consecutive year of giving its employees the holiday off.
“We want our team members and members to enjoy time with family and friends on Thanksgiving,” said president/CEO Chris Baldwin. Stores will reopen on Black Friday morning at 7 a.m.
On the regional level, privately held P.C. Richard & Son will continue its 107-year tradition of putting family first, and for better or worse will keep its 66 New York area stores closed, president/CEO Gregg Richard told TWICE.
For those who feel compelled to shop on “Grey Thursday,” all three chains will be open for business online.
Also adding momentum to the Thanksgiving Day backlash is the Mall of America, the nation’s largest indoor shopping mall, which decided to shut its doors for the first time for the holiday.
Another 40 national chains are expected to join the fray including GameStop, Costco, BJ’s, Lowe’s and Home Depot, according to shopping advice site BestBlackFriday.com.
But whether lost store revenue can be made up online — or long-term through good will — remains debatable, analysts and even retailers say.
