It appears to have started with a contest of "one-upmanship" following Macy's announcement that it would open at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday. J.C. Penney followed by saying shoppers could enter at 5:00 p.m. – when many Thanksgiving revelers haven't even had their pie or fallen asleep in front of the football game on TV.
Still, the holiday spoils may go to Walmart, which has said it will be open for business at 6:00 a.m. on Thanksgiving, and remain open for 42 consecutive hours. In response, a number of big-name retailers are going for the P.R. and family angles by making conspicuous news that they are giving their hard-working staffs the holiday off.
Among the heavy hitters on the list compiled by Forbes and other sources:
- Costco
- BJ's
- Home Depot
- Lowe's
- Dillard's
- Nordstrom
- T.J. Maxx
- Marshall's
- PetCo
- Burlington Coat Factory
However, some 45% of shoppers surveyed by Accenture plan to do some holiday shopping on Thanksgiving (whether in-store or online), while a separate poll indicates roughly 60% of Americans dislike stores being open on Turkey Day.