Target stores will be closed this Thanksgiving, and the company says they will permanently be closed on Thanksgivings from now on.
In reaction to the COVID-19 pandemic last year, Target, among other large retailers, changed their strategy to spread out the sales that would have been held only on Black Friday across a week in an attempt to mitigate the normally massive crowds that flock to the stores in search of deals.
That moved seems to have paid off, as one report says holiday sales in November and December rose 8.2% in 2020 versus 2019.
“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 statement given to employees.
Target, as a company, won't be completely shut down on Thanksgiving, however. Instead, some employees at distribution centers and call centers will work on Thanksgiving, but all retail stores will be shut down.
About a decade ago, Target began opening on Thanksgiving Day to try and beat competitors and rival online retailers like Amazon. But according to some reports, the numbers revealed that Thanksgiving was never a significant revenue-generating day and drew criticism for making people work rather than spending time with family.
Source: ClickOrlando.com