Thanksgiving Shoppers Forced To Stay Home As Many Retail Stores Close For Holiday
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Thanksgiving shopping lines were almost non-existent Thursday with most major retailers choosing to close for the holiday.
It's a change of pace compared to recent years where companies like Best Buy, Target and Walmart typically opened for at least part of Thanksgiving to kick off the holiday shopping season.
Dr. Audrey Guskey, a Duquesne University marketing professor, says the pandemic has forced retailers to reevaluate opening on Thanksgiving, a polarizing topic that brings shoppers out in droves but has others saying stores should be closed to allow employees to spend the day with their families.
"Because of this year with COVID-19, we only have one major big box store open, which is Big Lots," Guskey said.
Many companies cited pandemic safety concerns and showing appreciation for employees during a challenging year as reasons for staying closed on Thanksgiving.
Guskey adds opening on Thanksgiving was often not profitable for retailers because consumers who shopped on Thanksgiving typically did not shop on Black Friday. She says it will be interesting to see what retailers do next year after choosing not to open on Thanksgiving this year.
"Maybe one particular day, whether it's Black Friday or Thanksgiving, don't seem to be really a need for that anymore from retailers," she said. "They can, in a sense, spread the wealth out and make more money overall over a month."
Though most stores were closed Thursday, some people still traded their seat at the Thanksgiving table for a spot at the front of the line.
Small lines formed at GameStop stores across the region Thursday as shoppers hoped to snag the next-generation Xbox or Playstation 5, two of the hottest and hardest to find items this year.
GameStop promised a small inventory at each store when they open at 7 a.m. Friday.
Jessie Cordell of Steubenville got in line at 9 a.m. at the Robinson GameStop, hoping to buy an Xbox for her nephew. She said trying to find one online has been difficult.
"We were ready, sitting in front of our computers," she said. "We didn't get it so this is our resort."
At the Bridgeville GameStop, Noah Huck of Carnegie was first in line for a Playstation at 6 a.m. Thanksgiving morning.
"I've done eight online drops and could not get it one time," Huck said. "The bots keep getting them and keep getting them. So I thought, 'You know what? I'm just going to do it.' I came out here, sitting out here for over 24 hours, going to secure the bag."
KDKA's Black Friday Guide has more information on shopping this year, including cleaning protocols at stores, store hours and deals to watch. Click here for the guide.
