Thanksgiving Retail Shakeup: Stores Closing, Others Staying Open

In the lead-up to the 2025 holiday season, the retail industry is witnessing a significant shift in Thanksgiving Day operations. According to the news article, a majority of major retailers will be closing their doors on Thanksgiving this year, giving employees a much-needed break to spend the holiday with their families.

Notable closures include Target, which announced in 2020 that it would permanently shutter its stores on Thanksgiving, as well as Macy's, REI, and JCPenney. The article also reports that Walmart, Costco, Best Buy, and Bed Bath & Beyond will all be closed on the holiday. This marks a departure from previous years when many of these chains had remained open to accommodate deal-seeking shoppers.

However, not all stores will be shutting down. Retailers like Kroger, Walgreens, Whole Foods, and a few others will keep select locations open on Thanksgiving Day. This suggests that while the retail landscape is evolving, some consumer demand for in-store shopping on the holiday remains.

The article attributes this shift to the pandemic's impact on shopping habits, with more consumers embracing e-commerce and reducing the need for extended in-store hours on Thanksgiving. As one retailer put it, the temporary pandemic-driven closures have now become the new standard, recognizing the ability to meet customer needs both within and beyond traditional store hours.