Some of the country’s largest shopping centers are staying closed on Thanksgiving. But not all of them.
The United States’ biggest mall owner, Simon Property Group, announced in a release that it will keep most of its domestic properties closed on Nov. 23, or Thanksgiving Day this year.
Simon did not confirm which or how many properties would be open on Thanksgiving day this year. Last year, Simon closed all but two of its properties in Las Vegas on Thanksgiving day: Forum Shops at Caesars and Shops at Crysals.
The announcement marks another change from the company’s policy for 2021 and 2020, which involved closing all properties on Thanksgiving Day. In 2020, chairman, president and CEO David Simon said that the company decided to not open to properties to allow “associates to spend the holiday with their loved ones.”
As of Dec. 31, 2022, the company owned or held an interest in 196 “income-producing properties” in the United States, consisting of 94 malls, 69 Premium Outlets, 14 Mills, six lifestyle centers, as well as 13 other retail properties across 37 states and Puerto Rico, according to an annual report.
This year, Walmart announced that it will be closed for business on Thanksgiving this year. Target in 2021 announced a decision to close business for good on Thanksgiving every year. And REI Co-op said it will close its stores on Black Friday permanently.
Before the pandemic, Thanksgiving had become synonymous with getting a head start on holiday gifting ahead of the Black Friday rush. However, an increasing number of nationwide chains made the decision to dim their lights or give their employees that day off amid the COVID-19 health crisis in 2020. Since then, retailers have offered markdowns via online channels to encourage customers to do their shopping from the comfort of their own homes.
