Macy’s department stores are mulling the end of a 155-year tradition that let employees relax on the Thanksgiving holiday, and depending on what customers want, may open doors to shoppers that day at 8 p.m.
The decision would reverse decades of store policy to close doors on Thanksgiving. Still, the pressure to go after Christmas shopping crowd has increased in recent years, as retail revenues have lagged. And a couple years ago, the chain did start opening its 800 nationwide shop doors for Black Friday shoppers at midnight, just seconds after the Thanksgiving holiday officially ended.
Now, stores in select markets around the nation — New York and Chicago, for example — may be rolling back the hours of operation even earlier to 8 p.m. on Thanksgiving.
“I want to do whatever customers and associates want,” said Macy’s CEO Ted Lundgren, The Daily Mail reported. “[I] will never say never” to an early opening.
But some employees say the decision’s already been made. A store survey went out to some employees that read: “The Thanksgiving Holiday is also a critical time and we are counting on you to help make it successful. Your store will open at 8 p.m. on Thursday, November 28. We would like to know if you are able to work an opening shift beginning at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, November 28th.”
The Sun-Times reported that the company will formally announce its holiday schedule this week.
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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