For the first time in its history, Macy’s will open on Thanksgiving. Macy’s Inc., which is based in Cincinnati, Ohio, says that it will open the majority of its stores on the holiday, breaking its well-known tradition of being closed for the holidays.
Macy’s has decided to open on Thanksgiving due to the pressure the chain is facing from its rivals as well as online merchants who make massive sales from holiday deals. Last week Monday, Macy’s Inc. issued a release that the store will open its doors at 8 p.m. on Thanksgiving day and will remain open for 24 hours straight and will close around 10 p.m. on Friday.
Last year, Macy’s opened at midnight right after Thanksgiving. In addition, Macy’s has cited an increasing demand to open earlier from shoppers. There are about 800 Macy’s stores and about 750 of the store locations will be open at 8 p.m.
Macy’s said that it began planning early for the event in order to allow its employees the time and opportunity to look over available shifts through the holiday season, including Thanksgiving weekend. This enabled employees to volunteer for the shifts they would not mind working.
Macy’s Thanksgiving deals will include coffee makers for $9.99 and five-piece luggage sets for $49.99. Other stores that have opened on Thanksgiving in the past include Wal-Mart, Target and Gap.
I can definitely believe that Macy’s feels the need to open on Thanksgiving day due to online competition. Whenever I check my email on a holiday, it is bombarded with sales and deals from several online retailers.