October 17, 2023
Photo: Canva
Should Grocers Close on Thanksgiving?
Walmart, which ranks as the largest grocer in the U.S., will be closed on Thanksgiving for the fourth consecutive year to give store associates a break, but most traditional grocers are expected to again remain open with limited hours.
Walmart joined several other major chains opting to close on Thanksgiving in 2020 amid social-distancing concerns and to show appreciation to associates facing challenges during the pandemic. Traditionally, many stores were open for limited evening hours on Thanksgiving, with deals arriving to help jumpstart Black Friday sales.
Most Walmart stores are open 24 hours a day. In 2019, in-store Black Friday deals at Walmart started at 6 p.m. on Thanksgiving.
“Thanksgiving is such a special day during a very busy season. We want you to spend that day at home with family and loved ones,” said Walmart U.S. CEO John Furner last week in a video message to associates on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Several other chains known for offering Thanksgiving evening Black Friday deals — including Best Buy, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Kohl’s, and JCPenney — remained closed on Thanksgiving for the third straight year in 2022 but haven’t announced plans for 2023. Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, and TJX Companies are among the chains that have historically chosen to close on Thanksgiving.
Among chains offering groceries as well as toys and other gifts, Target announced in 2021 that it would be closing permanently on Thanksgiving. Costco, Sam’s Club, and BJ’s Wholesale Club have historically been closed on Thanksgiving as a thank-you to their workers.
“Our employees work especially hard during the holiday season and we simply believe that they deserve the opportunity to spend Thanksgiving with their families,” Costco said in a statement to the Washington Post.
As for grocers, Publix, Trader Joe’s, Aldi, and Lidl have traditionally been closed on Thanksgiving. Winn-Dixie began closing on Thanksgiving in 2020 and Giant Eagle in 2021.
Most traditional supermarkets, however, are open with reduced hours to help home cooks take care of last-minute needs for their big meals, with some offering catering. Among some larger chains, H-E-B closes at noon on Thanksgiving; Harris Teeter at 2 p.m.; Albertsons, Stop & Shop, Piggly Wiggly, and Meijer at 3 p.m.; and Wegmans and Kroger at 4 p.m. Most Whole Foods locations close at 3 or 4 p.m.
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Jeff Sward
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John Karolefski
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Mohammad Ahsen
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Recent Discussions
Discussion Questions
Should grocers be open on Thanksgiving to support home cooks or closed for the sake of associates? Do you applaud the decisions by big boxes like Walmart, Costco, and Target with major food offerings as well as Publix, Trader Joe’s, and a few others to close?
Poll
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The decision of whether to close or not is, ultimately, up to individual companies. However, I personally see no particular need to open on Thanksgiving and I think retailers should give their hard-working employees the day off. All consumers know when Thanksgiving is and have more than enough time to get food and provisions in before the big day. It’s similar to Christmas Day in the UK when all large supermarkets and other shops are closed. Sometimes it’s nice for retail, and retail workers, to take a pause.
I wish all retailers would bite the bullet and close all day on Thanksgiving. Begin to educate customers now with in-store signing, posts on social media, and mentions by cashiers at checkout so there are no surprises.
If a retailer absolutely has to be available on Thanksgiving then open only until noon so employees can enjoy the holiday as intended, with family and friends.
Grocers and all other retailers, except pharmacies on duty (a rotating schedule born of an understanding among the neighborhood pharmacies) should close on Thanksgiving in order to allow all employees to enjoy quality of life. At worst, grocers could be open from 8 am to noon. Eventually, the consumer will be conditioned to the schedule and make their last-minute purchases the day before. Simple.
I don’t think people outside of the retail industry have a real feel for the hours worked and the stress experienced by retail staff during the November-December window. ‘Exhausting’ doesn’t begin to capture it. A full day off on an important holiday should not be a big ask. There are no surprises about Thanksgiving. With just a little planning any and all grocery needs can be taken care of by close of business Wednesday. Oh, and by the way customers, plan ahead for breakfast on Friday and then there’s no need for the grocer to open with the rising sun that day.
I’m very glad to see we’ve pulled back from opening on Thanksgiving. I’m glad that Walmart, Target, and others have decided to put the needs of their teams ahead of profits and are allowing them to have a break. It’s also nice for customers. Nothing worse than having the family Thanksgiving meal cut short because family members wanted to run out to a store to snatch a doorbuster in the afternoon.
Walmart is a department store that sells groceries. I don’t think they equate to a grocer. As a cook, I expect any market to be open on a major food day like Thanksgiving at least until noon. You’re there to help customers when they need you. With many people so distracted, it is easy not to plan ahead like your great-grandma did. Of course, she might have been looking for suet too but that’s another story…
They should be closed, and loudly advertise that they will be closed, in order for the bad planning home cooks amongst us to get it into our thick skulls that we need to get what we need BEFORE Thanksgiving. Culturally, the country (with very few exceptions) should be closed on Thanksgiving. And that is that 🙂
So glad to hear Walmart and other big boxes are going to be closed on Thanksgiving Day. Associates deserve this day with their friends and family. I’d like to see other grocers follow suit. A day to pause, reflect and give thanks for the many blessings we have as a nation is what Thanksgiving is all about, and employees deserve the entire day to enjoy this time-honored holiday.
Thanksgiving day is not a money maker. Never has been. Always was a dumb idea. And I think it’s important to give employees a break to spend time with their families. We can make our shopping lists 2 days out or borrow cups of sugar from our friends or neighbors.
For many, there is always the last minute scramble for some ingredient. Personally I find my local corner grocer to be the best answer. They open for a few hours in the morning and then close for the rest of the day. I appreciate their flexibility and their warm greetings for the less organized amongst us.
Retail employees have a lot to deal with these days between disgruntled customers, theft challenges and overall economic uncertainty. Going into the Holiday season they should be able to have that day off to spend with family and friends because their hours are going to be long and busy in the following weeks. With planning and prep, retailers can provide awareness to customers and if enough retailers follow suit, it will hopefully become the norm.
The gesture recognizes the importance of family time and well-being, striking a balance that values both customers and employees. Associates deserve a break on Thanksgiving and closing stores honors that.
Closing on Thanksgiving by big retailers like Walmart, Costco, Target, Publix, and others reflects a commendable commitment to valuing employees’ well-being and family time over profits. It sets a positive example for the industry.
I think supermarkets should be closed on Thanksgiving Day, but that’s just me. Grocers serve the shoppers. So, grocers should poll their shoppers and ask them whether to be open, closed or partially open on such a holiday. Go with the majority decision.
I was going to say “that ship has sailed” but maybe with all the big boxes planning to close it’s actually coming back to port. Yes shoppers, you really can get all the stuff you need for Thanksgiving a few days in advance.
remain open with limited hours.
seems like an intelligent compromise. Some will argue this still requires employees to give up part of their day, and so restricts their ability to travel (long distances); while this is true, I think it’s a bit of false equivalency: retail exists to serve customers, not employees, and there are hundreds of the former to each of the latter.
I’m surprised this is even a discussion item. Thanksgiving’s date is not a surprise, nor it is the sole source of key needs, e.g., healthcare/pharmaceutical products. Thanksgiving is the opening of the busy holiday season. Recognize & respect the contributions of your associates by giving them an opportunity to be with family & friends. I’m certain they will be thankful!
Hard to state a once size fits all approach here. Grocer store performance on Thanksgiving day vary by region and community. So each company should balance sales vs making sure team members get ample time off to be with family and friends. In some communities being open for just a few hours is a big deal, as some customers didn’t buy enough of an ingredient, bought the wrong item, or need more food for added guests.
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The decision of whether to close or not is, ultimately, up to individual companies. However, I personally see no particular need to open on Thanksgiving and I think retailers should give their hard-working employees the day off. All consumers know when Thanksgiving is and have more than enough time to get food and provisions in before the big day. It’s similar to Christmas Day in the UK when all large supermarkets and other shops are closed. Sometimes it’s nice for retail, and retail workers, to take a pause.
I wish all retailers would bite the bullet and close all day on Thanksgiving. Begin to educate customers now with in-store signing, posts on social media, and mentions by cashiers at checkout so there are no surprises.
If a retailer absolutely has to be available on Thanksgiving then open only until noon so employees can enjoy the holiday as intended, with family and friends.
Grocers and all other retailers, except pharmacies on duty (a rotating schedule born of an understanding among the neighborhood pharmacies) should close on Thanksgiving in order to allow all employees to enjoy quality of life. At worst, grocers could be open from 8 am to noon. Eventually, the consumer will be conditioned to the schedule and make their last-minute purchases the day before. Simple.
I don’t think people outside of the retail industry have a real feel for the hours worked and the stress experienced by retail staff during the November-December window. ‘Exhausting’ doesn’t begin to capture it. A full day off on an important holiday should not be a big ask. There are no surprises about Thanksgiving. With just a little planning any and all grocery needs can be taken care of by close of business Wednesday. Oh, and by the way customers, plan ahead for breakfast on Friday and then there’s no need for the grocer to open with the rising sun that day.
I’m very glad to see we’ve pulled back from opening on Thanksgiving. I’m glad that Walmart, Target, and others have decided to put the needs of their teams ahead of profits and are allowing them to have a break. It’s also nice for customers. Nothing worse than having the family Thanksgiving meal cut short because family members wanted to run out to a store to snatch a doorbuster in the afternoon.
Walmart is a department store that sells groceries. I don’t think they equate to a grocer. As a cook, I expect any market to be open on a major food day like Thanksgiving at least until noon. You’re there to help customers when they need you. With many people so distracted, it is easy not to plan ahead like your great-grandma did. Of course, she might have been looking for suet too but that’s another story…
They should be closed, and loudly advertise that they will be closed, in order for the bad planning home cooks amongst us to get it into our thick skulls that we need to get what we need BEFORE Thanksgiving. Culturally, the country (with very few exceptions) should be closed on Thanksgiving. And that is that 🙂
So glad to hear Walmart and other big boxes are going to be closed on Thanksgiving Day. Associates deserve this day with their friends and family. I’d like to see other grocers follow suit. A day to pause, reflect and give thanks for the many blessings we have as a nation is what Thanksgiving is all about, and employees deserve the entire day to enjoy this time-honored holiday.
Thanksgiving day is not a money maker. Never has been. Always was a dumb idea. And I think it’s important to give employees a break to spend time with their families. We can make our shopping lists 2 days out or borrow cups of sugar from our friends or neighbors.
For many, there is always the last minute scramble for some ingredient. Personally I find my local corner grocer to be the best answer. They open for a few hours in the morning and then close for the rest of the day. I appreciate their flexibility and their warm greetings for the less organized amongst us.
Retail employees have a lot to deal with these days between disgruntled customers, theft challenges and overall economic uncertainty. Going into the Holiday season they should be able to have that day off to spend with family and friends because their hours are going to be long and busy in the following weeks. With planning and prep, retailers can provide awareness to customers and if enough retailers follow suit, it will hopefully become the norm.
The gesture recognizes the importance of family time and well-being, striking a balance that values both customers and employees. Associates deserve a break on Thanksgiving and closing stores honors that.
Closing on Thanksgiving by big retailers like Walmart, Costco, Target, Publix, and others reflects a commendable commitment to valuing employees’ well-being and family time over profits. It sets a positive example for the industry.
I think supermarkets should be closed on Thanksgiving Day, but that’s just me. Grocers serve the shoppers. So, grocers should poll their shoppers and ask them whether to be open, closed or partially open on such a holiday. Go with the majority decision.
I was going to say “that ship has sailed” but maybe with all the big boxes planning to close it’s actually coming back to port. Yes shoppers, you really can get all the stuff you need for Thanksgiving a few days in advance.
remain open with limited hours.
seems like an intelligent compromise. Some will argue this still requires employees to give up part of their day, and so restricts their ability to travel (long distances); while this is true, I think it’s a bit of false equivalency: retail exists to serve customers, not employees, and there are hundreds of the former to each of the latter.
I’m surprised this is even a discussion item. Thanksgiving’s date is not a surprise, nor it is the sole source of key needs, e.g., healthcare/pharmaceutical products. Thanksgiving is the opening of the busy holiday season. Recognize & respect the contributions of your associates by giving them an opportunity to be with family & friends. I’m certain they will be thankful!
Hard to state a once size fits all approach here. Grocer store performance on Thanksgiving day vary by region and community. So each company should balance sales vs making sure team members get ample time off to be with family and friends. In some communities being open for just a few hours is a big deal, as some customers didn’t buy enough of an ingredient, bought the wrong item, or need more food for added guests.