While you were enjoying your Halloween sugar high, retailers were busy gearing up for what they hope will be your holiday shopping high later this month. Black Friday isn't until Friday, November 23, but many stores just can't resist starting early. Walmart launched its "early access pass" in October on everything from Instant Pots to QLED TVs, while Sam's Club is having a pre-Black Friday sale on November 10, and Kohl's Black Friday deals start Monday, November 19.
What's more, dozens of stores open their doors on Thanksgiving—as early as 6AM at Meijer—to help juice sales over the long weekend. (Best Buy, Macy's, Old Navy, and Ulta Beauty will all be open on Thanksgiving too.) But If your idea of a good holiday doesn't involve fighting over a cheap TV or a $2 pair of socks with a stranger, you may be glad to know that at last count, according to the sites The Black Friday and Best Black Friday, more than twice as many big retailers are staying closed instead of opening their doors on Thanksgiving Day, which falls on Thursday, November 22.
That's a good thing. Because unless you are giving gifts to dozens of people this year, the smartest way to save is by making a list and setting a holiday spending budget, instead of just walking into a store and buying whatever strikes your fancy. You can also save by doing someone a favor, baking them cookies, giving them a vintage item you find at a thrift store, or inviting them over for dinner instead of getting them more stuff they'll probably wind up returning—or regifting—anyway.
Thanksgiving 2018 Stores Closed
With that in mind, here's FREE's shout out to all the big chain stores staying closed on Thanksgiving:
A.C. Moore
Abt Electronics
Academy Sports + Outdoors
Ace Hardware
Acme Tools
Allen Edmonds
American Girl
At Home
Barnes & Noble
Bed Bath & Beyond
Big 5 Sporting Goods
BJ’s Wholesale Club
Blain’s Farm & Fleet
Bob’s Discount Furniture
Burlington
Campmor
Christmas Tree Shops
Christopher & Banks
Cost Plus World Market
Costco
Craft Warehouse
Crate & Barrel
Dillard’s
DSW (Designer Shoe Warehouse)
El Dorado Furniture
Fleet Farm
Fred Meyer
Gardner-White Furniture
Guitar Center
H&M
Half Price Books
Harbor Freight Tools
HEB Stores
Hobby Lobby
Home Depot
HomeGoods
Homesense
Ikea
Joann
Jos A. Bank
Lamps Plus
La-Z-Boy
Lowe’s
Marshalls
Mattress Firm
Menards
Micro Center
Mills Fleet Farm
Music & Arts
Nebraska Furniture Mart
Neiman Marcus
Nordstrom
Nordstrom Rack
Office Depot & OfficeMax
Outdoor Research
P.C. Richard & Son
Patagonia
Pep Boys
Pet Supplies Plus
Petco
PetSmart
Pier 1 Imports
Publix
Raymour & Flanigan
REI
Sam’s Club
Sears Outlet
Sierra Trading Post
Sportsman’s Warehouse
Staples
Stein Mart
Sur La Table
The Container Store
The Original Mattress Factory
The Paper Store
TJ Maxx
Tractor Supply Co.
Trader Joe’s
Trollbeads
Von Maur
West Marine
Bravo!