Big retailers will remain shut for Thanksgiving, but thousands of retail staff are still working

As more retailers decide to remain shut for Thanksgiving, more retail store workers will get to spend the holiday at home. But not all retail staff will get the day off. Target said on Monday that it will close all its stores for Thanksgiving every year from now on. This might be a move that may prompt its rivals to follow suit. In 2020, many chains closed their stores on Thanksgiving for the first time including Walmart, Best Buy and Dick's Sporting Goods. All these companies will close their stores again this year although none of them have made permanent changes to their Thanksgiving policies moving forward. Some companies like Costco and Home Depot have closed their stores for years. 

This does not mean that stores and warehouses would be completely empty on Thursday. As Black Friday approaches, retailers need workers to prepare for the biggest shopping day. A spokesperson for Target said that a small percentage of Target's workforce such as supply chain and service center workers will still work on Thanksgiving. Target said that it worked with the employees earlier to understand their preferences in scheduling and employees who work on Thanksgiving will receive extra pay. 

Staying open for Thanksgiving has been a topic of tension between retailers and labor advocates in the past. Many retailers have stayed open for the holiday to get a jump on Black Friday. Labor advocates have however argued that workers should stay home for Thanksgiving instead. 

Source: CNN