CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Shoppers are used to standing in long lines outside of stores in hopes of scoring holiday deals, but this year, that won’t be happening at several malls across our area.
The Simon Property Group, which owns SouthPark Mall, Concord Mills and Charlotte Premium Outlets, announced Monday that its malls and outlets will be closed on Thanksgiving Day, according to CNN. Doors will reopen for Black Friday.
“We made the decision that we will not open on Thanksgiving Day, instead allowing our associates to spend the holiday with their loved ones,” company CEO David Simon said.
It’s a huge shift because over the years we’ve seen malls adding more hours on Thanksgiving.
Simon, which is the largest owner of malls in the country, isn’t the only company closing its doors for the holiday.
Walmart is ending its tradition of opening stores Thanksgiving night. Target, Dicks Sporting Goods, Bed Bath & Beyond, J.C. Penney and Best Buy will also be closed on Thanksgiving.
Because of the need to space people out during holiday shopping, experts said to look for more deals in-store and online earlier than in years past and expect some of those deals to last longer, too.
Cox Media Group
