Black Friday 2015 Rumors, Hours: Full List Of Stores Closed On Thanksgiving — One Closed On Black Friday

Black Friday 2015 is just a month away, and many are still waiting for the biggest ads to be released. However, store hours are just as important. While some of those are still not confirmed, we do have a list of stores that won’t be opening on Thanksgiving Day. Believe it or not, one store is even staying closed on Black Friday itself to get people to head outdoors.

With store hours not being released for all companies yet, there are some that could still choose to stay closed on the holiday. As of now, though, more and more are choosing to keep doors shut on Thanksgiving Day and not open until the shopping day itself.

Best Black Friday has released a list of stores that have confirmed their Thanksgiving Day closures as of Wednesday, October 28. There are more likely to be added before it gets too far into November.

• Half-Price Books
• Costco
• GameStop
• Mattress Firm
• Von Maur
• Staples
• P.C. Richard & Son
• Harbor Freight
• REI

Both GameStop and Staples have been open on Thanksgiving before but have decided to change their tune. They’d rather have employees be home with their families for the holiday, so they won’t open until Black Friday.

One company on that list is making an even bigger statement by taking things a step further. REI recently announced that they would not just be closed on Thanksgiving, but they were going to be closed on Black Friday as well.

As reported by USA Today, the outdoor equipment and fitness retailer wants customers to “opt outside” or even #OptOutside across social media. They would rather people enjoy time with family and the great outdoors rather than go shopping.

All 143 of REI’s stores will be closed the day after Thanksgiving, so don’t try to go there. REI President and CEO Jerry Stritzke was cautious at first about closing but wants to paint the bigger picture.

“Any retailer that hears this will be startled by the idea. As a co-op… we define success a little differently. It’s much broader than just money. How effectively do we get people outside?”

Stritzke knows that Black Friday is the biggest shopping day of the year and even proclaims it to be “like a national holiday.” Still, he’s hoping that REI can start a new tradition of customers not buying anything and choosing to #OptOutside instead.

The retailers that will be closed on Thanksgiving Day are looking to “take a stand” or send a message that holidays should be for families. With that being said, many of them are making their Black Friday sales even bigger by having them continue throughout the entire weekend.

Many locations will be opening early on Black Friday. For example, Staples, GameStop, and others are swinging the doors open at 6 a.m. That’s giving employees times to spend the holiday with family and wait until Friday to go shopping.

These retailers don’t just want employees to spend Thanksgiving Day with families, but their customers as well. Some of them are the only locations that shoppers will visit on Black Friday, and now they have no choice but to wait.

Maybe that’s not entirely a bad thing, as these stores are forcing consumers to wait on their products. The more who wait, the more people that may stay at home.

Walmart, Target, Macy’s, Kmart, and numerous others are still planning on being open on Thanksgiving Day. At least, that’s the rumor, as official store hours have not yet been released. Black Friday 2015 is still expected to be a huge shopping day, but with more stores waiting to open this year, next year may bring even more.

[Photo by Getty Images – Stan Honda]