For me, Thanksgiving is a day to get together with family and enjoy great food, give thanks, and have fun with the people that mean the most to me. People that work in retail don't always have that luxury.

Over the years stores have been opening earlier and earlier on Black Friday to try and grab more of people's holiday shopping budgets. Then, a few years ago, some companies became so greedy that they started opening on Thanksgiving day.

The only time I will ever go to a store on Thanksgiving if we run out of something at the house and then I would run to the convenience store. I don't ever plan on going to the mall on Thanksgiving just to get a jump on my Christmas shopping, regardless of how good the sales are.

I remember driving down RT 17 on my way home from my sisters on Thanksgiving, and seeing the line wrapped around the Toys-R-Us building in Johnson City, waiting for the doors to open. I don't remember if the store was opening at Midnight, or at 10 p.m.

According to Bestblackfriday.com, their recent survey found that 72% of people believe stores should be closed on Thanksgiving Day to allow their employees to spend time with their families.

Some national chains have already announced that they will be closed on Thanksgiving Day. Some of them are in the Binghamton area, some are not. Here is the list as it stands so far according to Bestblackfriday.com;

  • Army and Airforce Exchange Service
  • A.C. Moore – (some stores open for Black Friday at 5 a.m.)
  • Academy Sports and Outdoors
  • Ace Hardware
  • Ann Taylor
  • BJ’s – (open for Black Friday at 7 a.m.)
  • Barnes and Noble – (open for Black Friday at 8 a.m.)
  • Bob’s Discount Furniture (open for Black Friday at 9 a.m.)
  • Burlington Coat Factory (open for Black Friday at 7 a.m.)
  • Costco
  • Crate & Barrel – (open for Black Friday at 8 a.m.)
  • Fleet Farm – (open for Black Friday at 6 a.m.)
  • Guitar Center – (open for Black Friday at 7 a.m.)
  • Half-Price Books
  • Hobby Lobby – (open for Black Friday at 8 a.m.)
  • HomeGoods – (open for Black Friday at 7 a.m.)
  • JO-ANN – (open for Black Friday at 6 a.m.)
  • Lowe’s – (open for Black Friday at 6 a.m.)
  • Marshalls – (open for Black Friday at 7 a.m.)
  • Menards
  • Neiman Marcus – (open for Black Friday at 8 a.m.)
  • Nordstrom
  • Office Depot (open for Black Friday at 8 a.m.)
  • OfficeMax (open for Black Friday at 8 a.m.)
  • Pier 1 (open for Black Friday from 8 a.m. until 10 p.m.)
  • Petco – (open for Black Friday at 8 a.m.)
  • Petsmart
  • REI (closed on Black Friday)
  • Sam’s Club
  • Sierra Trading Post – (open for Black Friday at 7 a.m.)
  • Staples – (open for Black Friday at 7 a.m.)
  • Stein Mart
  • The Container Store
  • T.J.Maxx – (open for Black Friday at 7 a.m.)
  • True Value

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