Dive Brief:

• Regional mall operator CBL & Associates Properties will close 72 U.S. shopping centers on Thanksgiving Day, crediting the move to feedback from mall employees and retail partners as well as input from shoppers.

• According to news reports and press releases sent to Retail Dive, other retailers keeping stores shuttered so that employees can enjoy the Thanksgiving holiday include American Girl, GameStop, Hhgregg, Marshalls, Nordstrom Rack, B.J. Wholesale, Sam’s Club, Costco and TJMaxx. 

• Bloomington, MN's Mall of America, the nation's largest shopping mall, announced last week it also will close in observance of the Thanksgiving holiday.

Dive Insight:

Black Friday — so named because of its potential to push a retailer's annual profits out of the red and into the black — started decades ago as a way to kick off holiday sales with special deals on a day that many consumers had off from work. In recent years, as e-commerce stole some of Black Friday’s thunder and as competition for holiday dollars grew increasingly fierce, some retailers began the radical move of opening on Thanksgiving. (For some, the most disheartening participant is Macy's, which opens its doors not long after holding its iconic Thanksgiving Day Parade.)

These days opening stores on Thanksgiving is no longer a radical idea, but it remains controversial. That’s led several retailers to question the value of the move, and those that close on the holiday trumpet the decision to garner the most goodwill.

There are practical reasons why staying closed on Thanksgiving make more sense than being open. Aside from the press — retailers that close see news reports and social media posts filled with praise, while retailers that are open face protests and accusations of ruining a sacred day reserved for family and giving thanks — opening doors that day may not be worth it in terms of sales, either. Research has consistently found that being open on Thanksgiving just spreads holiday sales more thinly, rather than adding to them. Retailers closed on Thanksgiving make those sales up on Black Friday or even later. Plus, e-commerce has made heading to brick-and-mortar stores less crucial.

Last year, in a high-profile move that generated significant publicity (and possibly new members and additional sales), outdoor gear retailer REI closed not just on Thanksgiving but also on Black Friday, encouraging employees and customers to enjoy the day participating in outdoor activities.