Updated! We’ve written at length about the backlash against Thanksgiving Day store openings.
Well, at least 26 retailers to date are putting their holiday weekend revenue where their mouths are and staying closed on Nov. 26. (Websites are another story.)
The list, below, was put together by DealNews, an online shopping service that sends out email and mobile alerts when specific products go on sale.
According to staffer Elizabeth Harper, while the chains’ intentions may be noble — allowing employees to spend the day with their families — they may also enjoy a PR boon from the holiday-shopping backlash. Harper cited a heavily friended Facebook page, Boycott Black Thursday, while a recent poll by competitor BestBlackFriday.com showed that 47 percent of consumers believe stores should be closed on Thanksgiving, vs. 34 percent who think otherwise.
What’s more, Salesforce Social Studio, which tracks and analyzes social media conversations, has found that REI’s decision to stay closed on both Thanksgiving and Black Friday, and its social campaign encouraging people to #OptOutside, “has resonated with consumers and stolen the pre-season show,” with the retailer pulling a 6,557 percent increase in social chatter this year over last.
Nevertheless, Harper says the best deals are still likely to be had on Thanksgiving if the past three years are any indication, and that even retailers closed for the day will reap the rewards of the this year’s continuing migration online.
Here then are the chains that will be closed for Thanksgiving:
At Home
Barnes & Noble
BJ’s Wholesale Club
Burlington Coat Factory
Costco
Crate and Barrel
DSW
GameStop
H&M
Half Price Books
Harbor Freight
Home Depot
HomeGoods
Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores
Lowe’s
Marshalls
Mattress Firm
Micro Center
Nordstrom
Patagonia
P.C. Richard & Son
REI
Sam’s Club
Staples
Sur La Table
T.J.Maxx
Von Maur
And here are the chains that were closed last Thanksgiving but have not yet announced their plans for this year:
Ace Hardware
American Girl
Bed Bath and Beyond
Dillard’s
Hobby Lobby
Neiman Marcus
Petco
Pier 1 Imports
Publix
Sierra Trading Post
Talbots
