Thursday, October 6, 2016

Mall of America will close on Thanksgiving

For a growing number of American consumers, Black Friday has become a holiday in itself—one that has increasingly taken over Thanksgiving.

However, the Mall of America wants no part in that tradition this year.

On Wednesday, the mall announced in a press release that it would stay closed on Thanksgiving:

Mall of America, the largest retail and entertainment destination in North America, will remain closed on Thanksgiving Day this year in an effort to give the holiday back to the 15,000 employees who dedicate their time to millions of guests each year.

In a letter sent to Mall of America employees and tenants Wednesday morning, Mall of America Executive Vice President, Rich Hoge and Senior Vice President of Marketing, Jill Renslow shared, “In years past we’ve all rallied together to answer the call for 24/7 shopper access that the Thanksgiving/Black Friday weekend brings. However, it also meant that team members may not have been able to share the day with family and friends. That is why this year we have made the decision to close on Thanksgiving Day so that team members can put that energy where it matters most, into making memories with the people they care about most.”

It also shared the announcement on Twitter and Facebook:

Jill Renslow, Mall of America’s senior vice president of marketing, told The Associated Press:

We think Thanksgiving is a day for families and for people we care about. We want to give this day back.

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The move is garnering a plethora of positivity online:


Though the mall will close its operations—including its movie theater and its amusement park, Nickelodeon Universe—it’s giving its more than 500 tenants the choice to remain open.

If stores decide to open on Thanksgiving, the mall will provide support staff from among its 1,200 employees.

However, with increased pressure from consumers along with stores taking a stand, it’s probable that many will remained closed on Thanksgiving.

CNN Money reported:

“We had tenants with tears of joy that they could share the news with their employees," said Renslow on the reaction to the announcement this morning. "We have a lot of specialty retailers that have a smaller staff, and for them it's a huge sense of relief."

The StarTribune reported:

Last year, more than 150 of its stores opened at 6 p.m., most of them staying open through the night. But for many of the mall’s smaller specialty stores, it was a hardship to staff those hours, which was also a factor in the mall’s decision.

It remains to be seen whether the change will affect sales over the Black Friday weekend. About 400,000 people typically visit the mall during the Thursday-to-Sunday period. But officials expect the traffic to be fairly similar this year over the course of the three days instead of four.

“By closing on Thanksgiving, we’re confident we’ll still get those strong numbers throughout the Black Friday weekend,” Renslow said.

The move might inspire other stores and malls to follow suit—though some retail companies will assuredly open early.

Fortune reported:

Last week, Staples SPLS 0.37% boasted that it would close on Thanksgiving for the second year in a row, though the office supplies retailer was hardly a must-go place on Thanksgiving. And last year, outdoor gear retailer REI went a step further, closing on Black Friday itself.

Still, opening earlier and earlier can have some benefits: J.C. Penney credited its 3 p.m. opening on Thanksgiving last year, an hour before Macy’s (and three earlier than in 2014), for its strong quarter.

For consumers in Minnesota who want their shopping fix, Black Friday is still on. The Mall of America will open at 5 a.m. the day after Thanksgiving.

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