Target Stores To Stay Closed On Thanksgiving Day

(RTTNews) - Retail giant Target Corp. (TGT) Monday announced that it will not open its stores on Thanksgiving, and also added that it will continue this policy every year going forward.

Last year, Target had closed its stores on Thanksgiving day due to the Covid-19 pandemic, as an effort to control customer traffic and ensure customer's safety.

"What started as a temporary measure driven by the pandemic is now our new standard — one that recognizes our ability to deliver on our guests' holiday wishes both within and well beyond store hours," Target CEO Brian Cornell said in a note to employees.

Cornell said he made the decision to make the policy permanent after visiting Target stores in New York and New Jersey, where employees told him how happy they were to be with their family on Thanksgiving day.

Although stores will be closed on Thanksgiving, some employees at the retailer's distribution and call centers will work during the holiday.

Earlier, Target and other big-box retailers used to keep their stores open on Thanksgiving to capitalize on Black Friday, the start of the holiday season sales.

Meanwhile, Target is not the only retailer that will close its stores on the holiday. In June, Walmart (WMT) had announced that its outlets will remain closed on Thanksgiving "as a 'thank you' to associates for their continued hard work during the pandemic." Best Buy (BBY), Dick's Sporting Goods (DKS) and Home Depot (HD) stores will also remain closed. However, few other major retailers will stay open on Thanksgiving, including Whole Foods, Kroger (KR) and Dollar General (DG).