Some, But Not All Stores, To Open On Thanksgiving
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- With many local shopping malls opening up at 6 p.m. Thanksgiving night, some shoppers have strong reactions.
"No, no, no," says Dee Scott of Brookline. "People deserve to have a day with their families. We've gotten out of that tradition."
In a non-scientific poll by the Pittsburgh Business Times, only eight percent said stores should open on Thanksgiving with 92 percent against it.
And even fewer -- five percent -- said they would shop on Thanksgiving, with 93 percent emphatically against shopping and the rest undecided.
"No. Doing it today. Going to spend time with family the next couple of days," said shopper Christy Koch of Moon.
"Absolutely not. I'll be at my family's, friends -- we'll all be having a good time at a Thanksgiving dinner," added another shopper, Tracey Archer of Moon.
Some retailers let their employees enjoy Thanksgiving by staying closed all day like Barnes and Noble, Bed Bath and Beyond, Burlington, Cabela's, Costco, GameStop, Lowes, Marshalls, and Nordstrom.
But many others will open at some point on Thanksgiving, including all area malls.
It can get a bit confusing because not all stores are keeping the same hours.
Kay Jewelers, for example, will open at 6 p.m. on Thanksgiving, close at 1 a.m., and then reopen again at 6 a.m. on Black Friday.
While most malls open at 6 p.m. Thursday night, Best Buy, Dick's, Sears, and JCPenney's will open an hour earlier at 5 p.m., and many Walmarts will open all day.
So who shops on Thanksgiving?
"The Thanksgiving shopper is going to be millennials, going to be younger, so there will be less baby boomers and more younger people shopping," notes Prof. Audrey Guskey of Duquesne University.
And more women shop than men.
"Probably around 9 p.m., when everything is calmed down, everyone is relaxing, go out in our full Black Friday mode at that point," says Rebecca Mastarone of Mars.
"I'll probably leave around 11 p.m. when my parents and aunts and everyone's like in bed," adds Dayna Scott of Brookline.
While good deals attract some, it's the experience for many.
"That's the fun part," notes Danielle Mastarone of Oakdale. "That's the excitement. That's Black Friday."
Except a day early.
You May Also Be Interested In These Latest News Stories
Join The Conversation On The KDKA Facebook Page
Stay Up To Date, Follow KDKA On Twitter
