For the first time in 30 years, Walmart, the nation’s largest retailer, will close on Thanksgiving Day, the company announced this week, saying it wants to give a break to essential staff who have been working during the pandemic.
“We know this has been a difficult year, and our associates have taken a step forward. We hope you enjoy a special Thanksgiving Day at home with your loved ones, “said John Furner, Walmart US President and CEO, in a statement.
Thanksgiving shoppers should plan ahead or make their last minute purchases elsewhere. And shoppers accustomed to starting buying gifts after the big meal will have to use other options.
Online sales, which have increased annually during the holiday period, may see a further increase this year as some shoppers avoid crowds to improve social distance and retailers increase their investments in online deals and technology.
Walmart said it would release information about its store hours for the Friday after Thanksgiving, also known as Black Friday, at a later date.
It remains to be seen how many other retailers will follow suit. For years, Walmart led the way for Black Friday to open earlier and earlier. Some stores even opened at midnight. Others, including Walmart, were also open for Christmas shopping on Thanksgiving.
“We had an arms race and the leader in the arms race just took a step back,” said Charlie O’Shea, a Walmart analyst for Moody’s.
In recent years, retailers have begun to extend their Black Friday deals, and the day itself is less significant.
“Black Friday sales tend to run all week anyway. And then you have Cyber Monday. Lots of time to get good deals! Ashley MacPhee, a long-term health care worker, told NBC News in an online message.
Home Depot, Kmart, Kohl’s, Kroger, Macy’s and Toys R Us did not respond to a request for comment from NBC News.
Spokespersons for Best Buy and Target said there were no details to share yet. An Office Depot spokesperson said the store would be closed on Thanksgiving, but that it had not finalized all of its vacation plans. Costco and Lowe’s spokesmen said their stores are always closed on Thanksgiving.
Retailers have had their usual shopping schedules and supply chains messed up by the coronavirus. Asian suppliers generally begin shipping for the U.S. holiday season in May and June, but retailers stocked up last year as rate increases increased. Amazon also hasn’t released a date for its annual Prime Day sales, which took place in mid-July.
“While Walmart has taken a very proactive approach, other retailers and mall operators will likely wait to see how the virus and the resulting government actions will continue to impact store traffic before making final decisions,” said Brian Field, Senior Director ShopperTrak, which monitors consumer foot traffic in stores.
According to the company’s latest data, store foot traffic has decreased 37 percent year-over-year during the weeks of July 10-18. That improved significantly from an 80 percent decline in April, as measured cases skyrocketed for the first time, but they only improved slightly from a month ago, where they declined 41 percent.
Stores that will be open or not should be clearer after Labor Day, Field said.
Most buyers understood and supported Walmart’s move. They said they were grateful for the hard work that essential workers, such as supermarket and warehouse clerks, have been doing during the pandemic at personal risk, and employees deserve a break.
“The stores in our area have had many workers who became ill in the past few months and the stores closed for deep cleaning,” said Jocelyn, a Massachusetts mother of four, who asked that her last name be withheld for privacy reasons.
“I think it is the least they could do for these essential workers,” he said.
