BROOKLYN PARK, Minn. — Editor's note: The video above originally aired on Nov. 16, 2021.
Target says having its stores closed on Thanksgiving Day will be the new normal, permanently ending the Black Friday tradition that it embraced for years.
The move, announced Monday, comes as the Minneapolis-based discounter and other retailers including Walmart and Macy’s will be closed for the second Thanksgiving in a row.
Target is the first major retailer to announce that it’s putting an end to Thanksgiving Day store shopping, and the move could encourage other peers to follow.
Last year, the pandemic forced retailers like Target to rethink Black Friday’s shopping bonanza weekend, and led to them to spread out big discounts starting earlier in October, instead of concentrating on a few days. The new approach was designed to discourage crowds due to safety concerns triggered by COVID.