Christmas

Target Offers Shoppers a Breather After Thanksgiving

Target stores will close for six hours on Black Friday, unlike in past years

Target is offering shoppers a breather after holiday shopping on Thanksgiving. 

The Minneapolis-based discounter says it will open at 6 p.m. on the day of the turkey feast and then close at midnight local time. Its stores will then reopen at 6 a.m. local time on Friday until 10 p.m., 11 p.m. or midnight. 

That's different from last year when it kept the stores open straight through the night.

Like other retailers, Target is trying to figure out what makes sense for its customers. It learned that while shoppers like the opportunity to shop on both Thanksgiving and Black Friday at its stores, the crowds thinned out in the wee hours of the morning.

This comes after Target said customers want it to pause the "Christmas creep."

The chain said it wants to be more in tune with customers' mindset, so it plans to ease in holiday promotions this year while better recognizing Thanksgiving.

The retailer's holiday plans also include a new e-gift service, adding kiosks to its stores that focus on impulse presents, and launching a wallet feature to its app. It's also adding more weekend deals as shoppers focus on holiday buying on the weekend, not the weekdays.

While all retailers need to worry about online growth and the expansion of Amazon, Target is spending $7 billion over three years to remodel old stores, open small ones in cities and college towns and offer faster delivery for online orders.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
Contact Us