"Because being open [on Thanksgiving] is quite costly, I think we will see more and more retailers stop the Thanksgiving selling," retail consultant Robert Antall, managing partner of Consumer Centric Consulting.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- After years of insisting that consumers wanted their Black Friday doorbuster deals to start on Thanksgiving, some retailers are announcing plans to stay closed and give their employees the day off this year.
The Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota, the nation's largest shopping center with more than 520 stores and restaurants, announced on Oct. 5 that it would stay closed this Thanksgiving "to give the holiday back to the 15,000 employees who dedicate their time to millions of guests each year."
Instead, the mall will reopen at 5 a.m. on Black Friday.
Staples, the office supply retailer that been opening earlier and earlier on previous Thanksgivings, also decided against doing so this year. "We encourage our customers and employees to enjoy Thanksgiving however they choose, with their families and friends," said Steve Matyas, president North American retail, Staples, in a statement.
"For our Staples customers who want to shop from home on Thanksgiving Day, Staples.com will offer amazing deals on great products that customers can buy online and even pick up in stores on Black Friday or ship to their home." Staples stores will open at 6 a.m. on Black Friday.
CBL & Associates, a mall developer based in Chattanooga, Tennessee, that last year opened at 6 p.m. on Thanksgiving, announced that 72 of its malls will be closed this Thanksgiving, including EastGate Mall in Cincinnati.
Retail consultant Robert Antall, managing partner of Consumer Centric Consulting, said: "The majority of retailers that have opened on Thanksgiving have done so simply to ensure the competition doesn't take business away from them, both from online retailers and other brick-and-mortar retailers.
"With a few exceptions, I believe that most retailers have found little incremental business by opening on Thanksgiving," Antall said.
"This has just spread the Christmas sales over another day, but not really increased their business. Because being open is quite costly, I think we will see more and more retailers stop the Thanksgiving selling."
Ramon Avila, a marketing professor at Ball State University, said more stores are staying closed to boost the morale of their front-line workers.
"Over the past few years, we've heard a great deal of moaning and groaning by employees who have to come into work while their family is at home, enjoying Thanksgiving," said Avila, founding director of Ball State's HH Gregg Center for Professional Selling, via email.
"Many employees feel overworked and stressed," he said. "With the economy in much better shape, these same workers may be facing larger crowds this year than in the past."
Last year, retail sales on both Thanksgiving and Black Friday fell short of expectations, as online retailers like Amazon.com took a larger bite out of brick-and-mortar store sales. With more consumers armed with -- and able to shop from -- their smart phones, tablets, and desktops, shoppers seem more willing to shop around than to climb aboard the 24/7 holiday shopping hamster wheel.
BestBlackFriday.com said its recent survey of 502 American shoppers found that 55 percent disagree agree with retailers opening on Thanksgiving, including 38 percent who "strongly disagree."
Meanwhile, 18 percent of those polled like that stores open their doors on Thanksgiving, and 28 percent are "completely indifferent."
"Adding those who disagree with those who are indifferent, 82 percent have no positive feelings towards Thanksgiving openings," said Phillip Dengler and Eric Jones of Jones-Dengler Marketing, via email.
While younger Americans ages 18-29 are more likely to view Thanksgiving openings positively or indifferently, older Americans ages 30 and older "mainly hate Thanksgiving openings," he said.
And of those who strongly disapprove of Thanksgiving openings, more than 80 percent said they would not shop on that day.