Mall of America to Close on Thanksgiving This Year

Big stores make headlines for keeping their doors open during the holidays, but not every major retailer will be open this Thanksgiving.

In fact, Mall of America, the nation’s largest shopping space, told employees and tenants Wednesday morning that, for the first time ever, it has no plans to open on Thanksgiving Day. Though its 520-plus stores have the option to remain open on the holiday, mall executives told the StarTribune they expect they’ll stay closed.

As the paper notes, most of the 1,200 mall workers will get the holiday off, and if stores follow its lead, their employees will also not work that day. A small number of security and maintenance personnel will be on hand at the Minnesota shopping center, however, in case some stores are open.

In recent years, the Black Friday craze has crept into Thanksgiving Day, but some major chains are bucking the trend. Among the many stores that refused to open on Thanksgiving Day last year were DSW, Nordstrom and Costco.

According to TheBlackFriday, a site that tracks Black Friday deals among big-box retailers like Best Buy and Wal-Mart, several stores will remain open on turkey day this year, including Walgreens, J.C. Penney, Kohl’s and Target.

How to Shop Smart This Holiday

The Mall of America may be closed on Thanksgiving, but that won’t stop some shoppers from racking up debt. With all the door-buster deals and temptations out there, it’s understandable. But having a field day with your credit card can be a recipe for trouble if you can’t manage your debt or make payments on time. If you find yourself in trouble after a holiday spent racking up charges, be sure to check in on your credit to see where you stand and what you need to improve. You can view a free snapshot of your credit report on Credit.com.

Image: Kikovic