Target Will Be Closed on Thanksgiving This Year–And Every Year From Now On

If you’ve been wondering, “Is Target open on Thanksgiving?” there’s an official, easy answer: no. 

So if you’re in sudden need of a handful of candles on Thanksgiving Day, you’ll have to go somewhere else to buy them. Or wait until 7 a.m. on Black Friday when Target opens for the biggest shopping day of the year. 

But Target will not be open on Thanksgiving Day 2021. In fact, Target will not be open on Thanksgiving Day ever again (for now). Per The New York Times, the retail giant announced it will continue to close its doors on the American eating holiday every year moving forward.

In 2020, Target closed on Thanksgiving for the first time in a decade, citing safety concerns during the coronavirus pandemic. But now the retail giant has decided to make the move permanent. It’s also started offering discounts for the holiday shopping season earlier in October instead of reserving those deals for Black Friday.

“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 wrote in a statement. 

Target is not the first major retailer to make this change, and it probably won’t be the last. Earlier this month Walmart also announced it would be closing on Thanksgiving. 

“Throughout the pandemic, our associates have been nothing short of heroic in how they have stepped up to serve our customers and their communities,” said Dacona Smith, executive vice president and chief operating officer for Walmart U.S., in a statement. “Sam Walton said, ‘Our people make the difference,’ and that’s never been more true than it is right now. Closing our stores on Thanksgiving Day is one way we’re saying ‘thank you’ to our teams for their dedication and hard work this year. We hope everyone will take the opportunity to be with their loved ones during what’s always a special time.”