Target to close stores on Thanksgiving this year and beyond
The move to close stores on Thanksgiving, spurred by the pandemic, will now be standard for the retailer.
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Target kicked off its holiday deals in October this year.
Target on Monday said one change spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic is here to stay: its stores being closed on Thanksgiving Day. The retailer said in January that it would close stores on Thanksgiving 2021, but it's now making that standard policy, saying stores will be closed on future Thanksgivings.
In a letter to Target employees, CEO Brian Cornell said the temporary measure spurred by the pandemic will now be the retailer's new standard. "You don't have to wonder whether this is the last Thanksgiving you'll spend with family and friends for a while, because Thanksgiving store hours are one thing we won't 'get back to' when the pandemic finally subsides," he said.
Target, along with many other retailers, decided to close stores on Thanksgiving in 2020 and 2021 due to health concerns amid the pandemic. The move reversed a trend of many retail store opening in the evening on Thanksgiving as Black Friday sales kicked in. In 2019, Target opened stores at 5 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day and stayed open until 1 a.m. for shoppers. Its stores then closed briefly before reopening Friday morning.
See also: Best Black Friday deals under $100
People looking to snag holiday deals at Target will still be able shop online. Target's Black Friday deals went live on Nov. 21 and will run until Saturday, Nov. 27. The retailer has also been running early Black Friday deals all month long.
