The Mall of America, the largest shopping mall in the country, in Bloomington, Minnesota will be returning to tradition this year by being closed on Thanksgiving Day.
The Mall of America is home to 520 plus stores.
This is the first time in five years the mall will close on Thanksgiving. It will however, re-open on Black Friday at 5 a.m.
The Mall of America opened for the first time on Thanksgiving in 2012 at midnight. In 2013 it opened at 9 p.m. and in 2014 and 2015 it opened at 6 p.m.
The Mall will be closing its movie theater and Nickelodeon Universe amusement park.
“We think Thanksgiving is a day for families and for people we care about,” Jill Renslow, the mall’s senior vice president of marketing, told The Associated Press. “We want to give this day back.”
However, some tenants may still decide to open. The mall will provide security and have other key personnel active “to ensure smooth operations.”
Staples Inc. announced last month it will not be open on Thanksgiving for the second year in a row. However, they will offer online deals. Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, and Saks Fifth Avenue will also close as they always have.
Renslow added she hopes this decision will “bring that special magic back to Black Friday.”
However, Marshal Cohen, a retail analyst, is doubtful the decision will have any big impact on whether other stores in the mall will close down.
“Do I see the rest of the country doing it? No,” he said. “Do I see it going back in that direction? A little bit. I think some stores may realize that it may be an expense they may not want to have, but they’re also afraid to not do it.”
Cohen added that opening on Thanksgiving Day doesn’t lift sales during the Black Friday weekend. Instead, it just spreads those sales out throughout the weekend. Some stores even do “Black Friday” deals earlier in November, decreasing the emphasis on Black Friday.
The Mall of America usually attracts around 400,000 people during the Thanksgiving Day holiday and officials expect similar traffic this year. Last year, more than 150 of the mall’s over 520 stores opened their doors.
The mall of America will still host its Walk to End Hunger on Thanksgiving morning that helps feed the hungry.
The Mall of America is definitely making the right decision. Let employees spend time with their families and enjoy the holiday and give thanks for all the good things we have! Let’s hope other employers follow suit!
Share if you AGREE with the Mall of America and want to bring back Thanksgiving Tradition!
H/T: Hotair
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