These Stores Are Closing for Thanksgiving This Year

Critics have long blasted retailers for opening on Thanksgiving, saying employees should enjoy the holiday with family instead of bracing for hordes of bargain-hungry shoppers. Last year, largely thanks to the pandemic, they got their wish — and this year may follow suit. Some major chains are already announcing that they'll keep their doors shut on Thanksgiving. Here are some of the most notable stores that will be closed, and others that may yet follow suit.

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That mad holiday dash to Walmart for a cheap 4K TV will have to wait. The mega-chain’s more than 5,000 stores will again be closed on Thanksgiving this year, a decision Walmart says is partially in thanks for associates’ “perseverance throughout the pandemic.” There’s no word yet on how that will affect Walmart’s Black Friday plans, but last year, the retailer spread its deals throughout the month of November, both in store and online. Walmart-owned Sam's Club will also be closed, as it has been in years past.

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Costco's U.S. locations will be closed on Thanksgiving, a policy that remains unchanged from years past. But be sure to check Costco.com that day for special online-only deals, and look for the warehouse club to offer holiday savings online and in-store throughout November. Not a Costco member? You can apply here.

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Target wasted little time saying it would again keep its doors closed on Thanksgiving this year, announcing the news back in January. Expect Target to again sprinkle more of its traditional Black Friday sales throughout the month of November. Last year, Target also refunded shoppers the price difference if any advertised Black Friday deals dropped in price as late as Christmas Eve — stay tuned for whether that holds true this year.

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The nation's most prominent electronics retailer, traditionally fertile ground for stampedes over laptops and smartphones, has again decided against opening on Thanksgiving this year. Last year, Best Buy began offering select Black Friday prices as early as October. Members of the chain's free loyalty club, My Best Buy, also got early access to all deals in mid-November. 

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These stores haven’t made an official announcement yet, but they closed their doors on Thanksgiving even before the pandemic.

• Apple is usually closed on Thanksgiving, except for its 365-day-a-year “cube” on Fifth Avenue in New York City. 

• Gap was closed on Thanksgiving 2019 and 2020, but opened early on Black Friday both years. 

• Home Depot closed in 2019 and again last year. Its Black Friday sale began very early in store and online last year and lasted all of November. 

• Ikea is typically open on most holidays, but Thanksgiving isn’t one of them. Be sure to join the free loyalty club, Ikea Family, to take advantage of whatever holiday deals end up materializing. 

• Lowe’s was closed on Thanksgiving 2019 as well as 2020, just like main competitor Home Depot. Last year, Black Friday deals began online on Thanksgiving and were available Friday in stores.

• REI has closed on both Thanksgiving and Black Friday as part of its #OptOutside campaign since 2015, paying employees and encouraging others to do something active instead of shopping.

• Staples stores were closed Thanksgiving last year and in 2019. The office-supply giant offered free same-day delivery through Instacart during the week of Black Friday last year.

These stores haven’t made an official announcement yet, but they were open for at least part of the day on Thanksgiving before the pandemic, and a few of them even stayed open on Thanksgiving last year, too.

• Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s bucked the Thanksgiving closure trend last year, keeping their doors open for socially distanced shopping.

• Bed Bath & Beyond is a bit of a wild card: It was closed in 2018, open in 2019, and closed in 2020. Last year, there were early Black Friday deals in store and online, and it offered 25% off shoppers’ entire in-store and store-pickup purchases on Black Friday and Saturday. 

• Big Lots was open on Thanksgiving last year for holiday bargain hunters.

• Like Bed Bath & Beyond, GameStop has flip-flopped over the years, but was open on Thanksgiving 2019 before closing in 2020. 

• Dick’s Sporting Goods closed last year along with sister chains Golf Galaxy and Field & Stream, but was open on Thanksgiving in 2019. 

• JCPenney was closed last year but offered new Black Friday deals each weekend in November. It opened at 5 a.m. on Black Friday. 

• Kohl’s, typically a reliable source of Thanksgiving Day doorbusters, was closed last year. It offered in-store and online Black Friday deals earlier than ever, on Nov. 22, as well as online "Super Deals" on Thanksgiving Day. 

• Macy’s was closed on Thanksgiving last year, but did make up for that with extended store hours during the rest of the week. It also provided curbside pickup on Thanksgiving.

Unlike sister chain Gap, Old Navy was open on Thanksgiving for shoppers in 2019, even staying open all night and into the morning on Black Friday. Last year, it opened at midnight on Black Friday.