Dive Brief:
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New York-based Macy’s department store has been linked closely with Thanksgiving thanks to its iconic parade on that day.
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But the retailer is also among a few launching the Black Friday shopping weekend a day early, while families and friends are gathering for a holiday meal, and football. The retailer announced Thursday that it will open on Thanksgiving Day for the third consecutive year, at 6 p.m.
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Target told Retail Dive in an email that it hasn't yet announced its Black Friday weekend plans, though it has opened at 6 p.m. on Thanksgiving in the past. And CEO Brian Cornell said this week that shopping on Black Friday is a family tradition that its customers expect.
Dive Insight:
Retailers including Costco, GameStop, Lowe's, TJX, and Staples, have said they will be closed for the holiday, while REI and a one-store outdoor Seattle retailer, Outside Research, are going as far as closing on Black Friday itself.
Macy’s and other retailers who shake off the criticism about opening on Thanksgiving must have good reason to believe that they’ll steal sales from those that stay dark in favor of turkey and pumpkin pie.
Yet much research continues to show that Black Friday sales are mostly spread over several days regardless of how long or short the weekend is, and that it’s a zero-sum proposition. And most consumers who say they’ll shop on Thanksgiving Day also say they’ll be doing so online.
Retailers themselves are making moves that make even being open on Black Friday something of a moot point. While shoppers love “doorbusters,” savvy ones increasingly find that holiday discounts start earlier and remain longer than that day, and many prefer to avoid the frenzy by shopping at other times or online. Wal-Mart in fact said Thursday that it will be instituting 90-day price rollbacks Nov. 1.
In fact, retailers ready with their mobile capabilities will likely find that holiday shoppers will stay home on Thanksgiving and even Black Friday, searching for and even purchasing items on mobile.
“For shoppers on Thanksgiving Day, they find the best thing for everyone is to pull out the mobile phone or the tablet, enjoy the football game and continue to take advantage of those great deals,” Adobe Systems principal analyst Tamara Gaffney told Marketplace.
