BENTONVILLE, Ark. — Thanksgiving is still several months away, but a trio of retail giants have already made plans for Turkey Day.
Best Buy on Thursday joined Walmart and Target in confirming that their stores will not be open on Thanksgiving Day. The retailer confirmed the move in a statement to USA Today and CNN.
"This year, we'll have even more ways for customers to easily and conveniently get their holiday shopping done, over the Black Friday weekend and throughout the entire holiday season," Best Buy spokesperson Keegan Shoutz said in a statement to USA Today.
Best Buy's announcement is part of a growing trend in retail to keep doors shut on Thanksgiving — once thought of as a prime opportunity to attract shoppers ahead of Black Friday.
The electronic store's announcement comes about a week after Walmart that its stores would be closed on the holiday as a "thank you" to its associates for their hard work during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Walmart stores will operate regular posted hours on Wednesday before Thanksgiving and information about store hours for Black Friday will be announced on a later date.
"Closing our stores on Thanksgiving Day is one way we're saying 'thank you' to our teams for their dedication and hard work this year. We hope everyone will take the opportunity to be with their loved ones during what's always a special time," said Dacona Smith, executive vice president and chief operating officer for Walmart U.S. in a statement.
Target, one of Walmart's largest competitors, announced back in January that it wouldn't be open on Thanksgiving 2021.
2021 will mark the second straight year that Best Buy, Target and Walmart will remain closed on Thanksgiving. All were closed on the holiday last year, as were several other stores, as COVID-19 continued to devastate the country.
