"Never spend your money before you have it." - Thomas Jefferson

SavingAdvice.com Blog

Bridging the gap between saving money and investing

holiday shopping

List of Stores Closed on Thanksgiving Day 2017

By 29 Comments

Stores closed on thanksgiving
There was a time when Thanksgiving Day meant major retail outlets were closed for the day. That’s no longer the case. Even though it only started three years ago with a few retailers making the decision to open their doors on Thanksgiving Day to get an early jump on the holiday shopping season, it’s now becoming the norm. Since then, more and more retailers have decided it’s in their financial interest to also open their doors.

There are two arguments to this trend, with both sides looking at the issue quite differently. The stores which open on Thanksgiving Day (also called Gray Thursday or Black Thursday) argue consumers like to have an extra day to shop for the holiday season which gives them more flexibility and point to the fact that if consumers really didn’t like the idea, they wouldn’t come when their doors open. They also argue that if their competitors are open for the day, and they fail to follow suit, they will lose sales to them. In fact, for many retailers, Thanksgiving Day has become the new Black Friday when the best deals will be available.

On the other side, those who advocate retailers should remain closed argue Thanksgiving is a holiday about family and thankfulness and should be spent with family. Retailers who open stores on this day are keeping their employees away from their families because they have to work. They also note that being open on Thanksgiving doesn’t actually increase overall holiday sales for the retailers, but simply displaces sales which consumers would have made on Black Friday or some other later date. In other words, Thanksgiving sales don’t generate more overall sales, but they are at the expense of Black Friday which will be lower if the stores also open on Gray Thursday.

Stores Closed on Thanksgiving

Although the trend is for stores to open on Thanksgiving Day, even if it’s only for a few hours, there are some retailers who still refuse to follow suit. In fact, they are some of the biggest cheerleaders in trying to shame those retailers who do open for Gray Thursday. Below you’ll find a list of 50 stores (and counting) which have announced they will remain closed on Thanksgiving to give their employees the day off with their families.

  1. Small Independent Local Shops
  2. Apple Stores
  3. Barnes & Noble
  4. Bed, Bath and Beyond
  5. BJ’s Wholesale Club
  6. Burlington Coat Factory
  7. Christmas Tree Shops
  8. Christopher and Banks
  9. Costco Warehouse
  10. Crate & Barrel
  11. Dillard’s
  12. Designer Shoe Warehouse (DSW)
  13. Guitar Center
  14. H&M
  15. Half Price Books
  16. Harbor Freight
  17. Hobby Lobby
  18. HomeGoods
  19. Home Depot
  20. Jo-Ann Fabrics and Crafts
  21. Lowe’s
  22. Marshalls
  23. Menards
  24. Mills Fleet Farm
  25. Nordstrom
  26. Northern Tool
  27. Office Depot and Office Max
  28. Patagonia
  29. Pep Boys
  30. Petco
  31. Petsmart
  32. REI
  33. Sam’s Club
  34. Sam Ash
  35. Sears HomeTown and Sears Outlet Stores
  36. Sportsman’s Warehouse
  37. Staples
  38. TJ Maxx
  39. Tractor Supply
  40. True Value

If you know of another store that will remain closed on Thanksgiving Day, please leave the name of the retailer in the comments so we can add it to this growing list of stores that won’t be open on November 23, 2017.

Wondering what stores WILL be open? Check out “What Time Stores Open on Thanksgiving 2017.” 

Biggest Sales on Labor Day 2015, Online and Off

By Leave a Comment

Biggest Sales on Labor Day 2015, Online and Off
If you’re planning a Labor Day weekend shopping spree, now’s the time to start planning. We’ve hunted down some of the best sales on Labor Day, both online and off, to help you make the most of it.

Mattress Sales

This is a good time of year for buying a mattress if yours is starting to sag. Mattress retailers everywhere are discounting 50 percent or more to entice buyers away from competitors. Look for savings of 50 to 70 percent off at online retailer Overstock.com. If you’d rather buy in-store look to Sleepy’s offering 50 percent off all mattresses except Tempur-Pedic and even more off clearance mattresses. And if you have your heart set on a Sleep Number. Now is the time to take advantage of discounts and special financing at sleepnumber.com.

Major Appliances

Lowe’s, Home Depot, Sears, Best Buy and other major retailers are pulling offering big savings, especially on appliances needed for college dorm rooms like mini-fridges. Look for savings of 30 percent off or more plus free pickup of your old appliances.

Patio Furniture

It’s the end of summer, so everything you may need for the yard is on clearance. You’ll save as much as 75 percent anywhere outdoor furniture, grills and gardening tools are sold.

Cars

Now is a big sales time for car dealers. While the deepest discounts are yet to come, there’s still a reasonable selection on lots right now. Most of the sales consist of flexible financing options, but some are going even further. Chevy, for instance, is offering a college student discount. Nissan and Toyota are offering cash back.

Check Your Local Outlet Stores

Don’t forget that this is a big travel weekend and outlet stores across the country are competing for the tourist dollar. But you don’t need to be on vacation to take advantage of the deals, so look for sales at outlets near you to save big on all kinds of merchandise.

Be sure to check these retailers for the start and end dates of their sales. Some are ending on Saturday while others will be offering even deeper discounts on Sunday and Monday.

Is Target Open or Closed on Memorial Day 2015?

By Leave a Comment

Is Target open on Memorial Day
There’s nothing worse than going to a store to find just out that it is closed for a particular holiday. This is often the case when federal holidays come around in the United States, because these holidays are not national holidays. That is, only federal employees are guaranteed the day off work.

Retail stores such as Target get to decide on an individual basis whether they will observe the particular holiday or not. Even more confusing, some stores observe certain federal holidays while not observing others. This often leaves the consumer having no idea whether a store is going to be open or not on a particular holiday in the US. With Memorial Day landing on Monday, May 25, 2015, many people are beginning to wonder, “Are Target stores open on Memorial Day?”

Is Target Open on Memorial Day?

Yes, Target is open on Memorial Day. For those who enjoy shopping the Memorial Day sales and love to save money at Target, you’ll be happy to know Target stores remain open on Memorial Day. There are only two days during the year when Target stores close (Easter and Christmas), and they remain open the other 363 days a year.

Shopping Target Memorial Day Sales

When shopping sale events, the most important thing to remember is that a deal is never a deal if you purchase something which you weren’t planning to purchase in the first place. It doesn’t matter how much of a discount you can get on the item. Discounts are only true savings if you buy something you were already planning to purchase and use.

With this in mind, there may be some quality items you can purchase at a discount at the Target Memorial Day sale. As part of their sale this year, they are discounting summer home decor, summer clothing, grills and accessories, and swimwear. While these will be less expensive than if you buy them during the middle of summer, they won’t be as inexpensive as you can get them if you can wait until the summer season is over.

For those who are looking for deep discounts, you can look on the clothing racks for the last of the winter clothing which the store will be trying to get rid of so it doesn’t have to inventory it. In fact, anything remaining from winter may be discounted as much as 75% or more off its original retail price.

Costco Holiday Hours for Christmas

By 5 Comments

Costco warehouse holiday Christmas hours

Update: Costco 2015 Holiday Schedule

There is a growing trend for stores to extend their store hours in the days leading up to Christmas to give the last-minute procrastinators more time to get all the gifts they need to buy. The reason stores are targeting this consumer segment is because those last-minute shoppers are a growing trend, and retailers are desperate to bring in as many holiday dollars as they can. While this is the general trend, Costco warehouses have decided not to participate in it for the most part.

While stores like Target have extended their hours, and others like Macy’s have decided to stay open 24 hours a day as Christmas approaches, Costco has decided to stick with their normal operating hours in the lead-up to Christmas. Costco did extend its Saturday hours by an hour for November and December (they closed on Saturdays at 7 PM instead of 6 PM), but have not changed the hours in the days leading up to December 25. The only exception is they open an hour early and close early on Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day is a day the warehouse is closed.

With the trend of more stores opening longer hours becoming more established, there will certainly be pressure for other stores to follow suit in the future. This doesn’t mean Costco will bend to that pressure. Costco is one of the stores which refused to open for Thanksgiving Day although the trend now is to do that, and it also closes for a few federal holidays when virtually no other store does in order to give time to their employees time to spend the day with their families.

For those who plan to do some of their last-minute shopping at Costco, the warehouse will be open at the following times.

  • December 21 (Sunday): Costco opens from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM.
  • December 22 (Monday): Costco opens from 10:00 AM to 8:30 PM.
  • December 23 (Tuesday): Costco opens from 10:00 AM to 8:30 PM.
  • December 24 (Christmas Eve): Costco opens from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
  • December 25 (Christmas Day): Costco is closed.
  • December 26 (Friday): Costco opens from 10:00 AM to 8:30 PM.

Even though the warehouse won’t be open for extended hours, there should be plenty of time to do shopping there in the days before Christmas, and it can be a great place to stock up on bulk supplies if you are having people over. The drawback is the place is going to be crowded with a lot of other last-minute shoppers, and that’s usually not a good way to save money. Most of the time when you shop last second in a crowded store, you don’t make quality gift giving decisions, at least not as well as you do when you have more time and more space.

For those who do decide to shop Costco last second, there is one step you can take which will save you a lot of time, stress and aggravation when shopping with the crowds. Create a list of what you need to buy before you go. If you have someone on your list who you don’t know what to get, head over to Costco’s online website to browse for something there before you go, then add it to your list before you go. Looking for a gift online will make shopping a lot less stressful, and help you get in and out of the warehouse as quickly as possible.

For your friends who like Costco, or those who don’t have a membership but your think might like to try it, you might want to consider getting them a Costco cash card. Costco doesn’t have a free guest pass, but their cash card acts as one even for those who don’t have a membership.

(Photo courtesy of Manuel Iglesias)

Stores Open and Closed on Thanksgiving Day 2014

By 2 Comments

Stores that are open and closed on Thanksgiving day
It wasn’t too long ago that all major retailers remained closed on Thanksgiving Day waiting for the stroke of midnight to open their doors for all the black Friday deals. That’s no longer the case. More and more retail stores are opening their doors at earlier and earlier times on Thanksgiving Day, while others refuse to fall prey to this new trend by keeping their doors shut. This all makes for a lot of confusion for consumers who don’t know which stores will be open or what time they will be opening. Below you’ll find a list of some of the more popular retailers, whether they are open on Thanksgiving Day, and if they are, what time they will open. You can also access more comprehensive list of the stores that will be open and stores that will be closed on Thanksgiving.

While it’s probably in your financial and family interest to avoid shopping on Thanksgiving Day, it’s also the day that will offer the greatest discounts over the Thanksgiving weekend.

If you do decide to go shopping on Thanksgiving day, don’t forget the most important rule. You’re only getting a good deal if the purchases you make were planned purchases. If you were never planning to buy the item until you saw the deal, it’s not a deal at all. Instead, it’s a price induced impulse purchase. You end up spending money you never planned to spend, and when you do that for something that’s not a need, it’s never a good deal.

The following retail stores are opened and closed on Thanksgiving Day:

Walmart Stores

Walmart is open Thanksgiving Day. Walmart is open everyday of the year now for some period of time except for Christmas Day. While it’s open on November 27, stores aren’t open during their normal business hours. Walmart stores open at 6:00 pm on Thanksgiving Day.

Costco Warehouse

Costco is closed Thanksgiving Day. Costco is closed six days during the year, and Thanksgiving Day is one of them. If you need to stock up at the warehouse, you’ll need to do it before November 28. Costco opens on Friday, November 28 an hour earlier than it usually does (9:00 am instead of 10:00 am) for Black Friday.

Target Stores

Target is open Thanksgiving Day. Target is one of the retailers that has decided to open it’s doors early in November 27, although the best deal being offered at Target is on Black Friday. For those who want to hit the store early, it open at 6:00 pm on Thanksgiving Day.

BJ’s Wholesale

BJ’s Wholesale is closed Thanksgiving Day. BJ’s is another store which has decided to remain closed on November 28 so that employees can enjoy the day with their families. BJ’s will open on Black Friday at 7:00 am.

JC Penny

JC Penny is open Thanksgiving Day. JC Penny is supposed to have the highest percentage discounts this Black Friday weekend with savings of over 65 percent. JC Penny is also getting an hour jump on many of the other major retailers by opening its doors at 5:00 pm on Thanksgiving Day.

Macy’s

Macy’s is open Thanksgiving Day. All Macy’s stores will open on Thanksgiving Day with some big discounts (the store ranks as the #2 behind JC Penny for best discounts offered for Black Friday weekend with savings of over 50%). Macy’s will open at 6:00 pm on Thanksgiving Day.

Sears

Sears is open Thanksgiving Day. Sears will be opening its doors on November 28, and will be joining both Walmart and Target in opening its doors at 6:00 pm. It’s supposed to have the best percentage discounts on clothes at over 70 percent off regular retail prices.

Kmart

Kmart is open Thanksgiving Day. Kmart has decided to leave no pretense that Thanksgiving should be a day to spend time with family and friends, and it’s treating the entire day as one for shopping. While most retailers won’t open until the evening, Kmart is opening its doors at 6:00 am (yest, that’s in the morning and not a typo) on Thanksgiving Day.

Lowe’s

Lowe’s is closed Thanksgiving Day. If you are planning to do some work on the house on Thanksgiving, you should buy the items you’ll need for the project before Thursday since Lowe’s is one of the retailers refusing to open its doors on Thanksgiving Day. Lowe’s opens at 5:00 am on Black Friday.

Home Depot

Home Depot is closed Thanksgiving Day. Home Depot stores, much like Lowe’s, has made the decision to stay closed on Thanksgiving Day to let their employees have the day off with their families. Home Depot will open its doors at 5:00 am the day after Thanksgiving.

Best Buy Stores

Best Buy is open Thanksgiving Day. Best Buy is joining JC Penny in opening its doors an hour earlier than their main competitors. Best Buy will be open for business at 5:00 pm on Thanksgiving Day.

While some retail stores are beginning to open on Thanksgiving Day, that’s not the case with everything. The post offices will be closed on November 27, and so will credit unions and banks.

List of 50 Stores Not Open on Thanksgiving Day 2014

By 28 Comments

List of retail stores closed on Thanksgiving Day
There was a time when Thanksgiving Day meant major retail outlets were closed for the day. That’s no longer the case. Even though it only started three years ago with a few retailers making the decision to open their doors on Thanksgiving Day to get an early jump on the holiday shopping season, it’s now becoming the norm. Since then, more and more retailers have decided it’s in their financial interest to also open their doors.

There are two arguments to this trend, with both sides looking at the issue quite differently. The stores which open on Thanksgiving Day (also called Gray Thursday or Black Thursday) argue consumers like to have an extra day to shop for the holiday season which gives them more flexibility, and point to the fact that if consumers really didn’t like the idea, they wouldn’t come when their doors open. They also argue that if their competitors are open for the day, and they fail to follow suit, they will lose sales to them. In fact, for many retailers Thanksgiving Day has become the new Black Friday when the best deals will be available.

On the other side, those who advocate retailers should remain closed argue Thanksgiving is a holiday about family and thankfulness, and should be spent with family. Retailers who open stores on this day are keeping their employees away from their families because they have to work. They also note that being open on Thanksgiving doesn’t actually increase overall holiday sales for the retailers, but simply displaces sales which consumers would have made on Black Friday or some other later date. In other words, Thanksgiving sales don’t generate more overall sales, but they are at the expense of Black Friday which will be lower if the stores also open on Gray Thursday.

Although the trend is for stores to open on Thanksgiving Day, even if it’s only for a few hours, there are some retailers who still refuse to follow suit. In fact, they are some of the biggest cheerleaders in trying to shame those retailers who do open for Gray Thursday. Below you’ll find a list of 50 stores (and counting) which have announced they will remain closed on Thanksgiving to give their employees the day off with their families.

  • Small Independent Local Shops
  • Academy Sports
  • AC Moore
  • American Girl
  • Apple Stores
  • Barnes & Noble
  • Bass Pro Shops
  • Bed, Bath and Beyond
  • BJ’s Wholesale Club
  • Burlington Coat Factory
  • Cabela’s
  • Christmas Tree Shops
  • Christopher and Banks
  • Costco Warehouse
  • Crate & Barrel
  • Dillard’s
  • Designer Shoe Warehouse (DSW)
  • Fort Western
  • GameStop
  • Gordmans
  • Guitar Center
  • Half Price Books
  • Harbor Freight
  • Hobby Lobby
  • HomeGoods
  • Home Depot
  • Jo Ann Fabrics and Crafts
  • Lane Bryant
  • Lowe’s
  • Marshalls
  • Menards
  • Navy Exchange (and all base exchanges)
  • Neiman Marcus
  • Nordstrom
  • Patagonia
  • PC Richards & Sons
  • Petco
  • Pier 1 Imports
  • Publix Food and Pharmacy
  • REI
  • Saks 5th Avenue
  • Sam’s Club
  • Sierra Trading Post
  • Shop Rite
  • Sur La Table
  • Talbots
  • TJ Maxx
  • Tractor Supply
  • Trader Joe’s
  • True Value

If you know of another store that will remain closed on Thanksgiving Day, please leave the name of the retailer in the comments so we can add it to this growing list of stores that won’t be open on November 27, 2014.

(Photo courtesy of Ben Husmann)