Mall of America and others not opening for Thanksgiving Day shopping hours.
There has been growing pressure from some groups to limit shopping hours on Thanksgiving Day, as the pressure to compete for Black Friday shopper dollars has intensified in recent years. Now, the largest shopping mall in the United States has decided to stay closed on Thanksgiving Day this year, and it’s not the only shopping center that will remain shuttered on the traditional day of feasting and football. Although the mall will officially be closed, the 520 stores in the shopping center will have the option to remain open, according to the Minneapolis Star Tribune, although most will likely not do so. Black Friday festivities will kick off at the Mall of America at 5 a.m. the day after Thanksgiving.
Regional mall operator CBL & Associates Properties has announced that it will close 72 U.S. shopping centers on Thanksgiving Day, crediting the move to feedback from mall employees and retail partners as well as input from shoppers.
According to news reports, other retailers have also made the difficult decision to keep their stores shuttered so that employees can enjoy the Thanksgiving holiday, juggling a delicate balance between winning customer dollars and keeping employees happy.
Meanwhile, mall owner General Growth Properties CEO Sandeep Mathrani says that his malls will open for business on Thanksgiving Day “to provide shoppers with comfortable and convenient experiences,” according to The New York Post. GGP owns 120 malls nationwide.
While the decision to open for business on Thanksgiving is no longer the major controversy that it was several years ago, it still opens the door to debate. And research has consistently demonstrated that opening on Thanksgiving does not add to sales dollars, it just spreads holiday sales more thinly. In fact, retailers closed on Thanksgiving make those sales up on Black Friday or even later, and the rise of e-commerce has made brick-and-mortar stores less important to holiday shoppers.
And the Mall of America is not alone in its decision to stay shuttered on Thanksgiving Day. The list of other stores with at least some locations closed include:
