Stores stay open on Thanksgiving to boost business

We are all used to restaurants, movie theaters, hospitals and even pharmacies being open on Thanksgiving Day.

But in recent years, a new legion of employees have been trudging out of their homes to clock in: retail workers.

Sales have softened then plummeted this year, so retailers need to boost the bottom line -- and for some, that involves extending hours and even opening on Thanksgiving Day. Stores that traditionally stay open -- such as the CVS and Walgreens pharmacies -- are broadening inventories to include in-demand merchandise such as GPS navigation systems, MP3 players, toys and digital frames.

To take some of the sting out of having to work on the holiday, the best retailers have learned to make Thanksgiving Day sales an event for workers and customers alike.

Last year, retailers at Prime Outlets at Ellenton set up buffets for workers who had to come in early to prepare for the "midnight madness" sales. Workers who arrived as early as 8 p.m. were able to snack throughout the night.

Customers who got to the mall early were able to shop in a handful of the stores before midnight.

Some retailers limit their Thanksgiving Day hours so that employees and customers can enjoy their holiday and then hit the stores afterward.

For instance, Michaels is open from 6 to 9 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day. To get customers in the doors, the arts and crafts retailer is offering larger Christmas trees for half-price.

It is the first time Michaels has opened for Thanksgiving. Stuart Aitken, the chief marketing officer for the company, said it is an opportunity to give families a little jump start on the Christmas holidays.

"Many people want to get out and about on Thanksgiving evening with their families," Aitken said.

Discounter Wal-mart is not taking a break for the holiday; stores that are open 24 hours will remain open 24 hours. Kmart is extending its hours on Thanksgiving Day, opening at 7 a.m. and not closing until 9 p.m.

Close-out retailer Big Lots is taking advantage of consumers' desires for bargains by offering a one-day sale from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thanksgiving Day, with extra discounts before 11 a.m. Discounter Family Dollar is open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Kathy Grannis, a spokeswoman for the National Retail Federation, said that by opening on Thanksgiving, retailers are offering convenience to their customers.

"I think when it comes to making the decision on opening, retailers look to their customers first to see if it's worth it," Grannis said.

Linda Humphers, the editor for Value Retail News, a trade publication for the International Council of Shopping Centers, said the trend of outlet centers opening earlier "has really caught fire."

It started about five years ago when the Chelsea Outlet Center in New York opened at midnight after Thanksgiving and drew huge crowds. Now, Humphers said, practically every outlet center has a midnight madness sale and some of the stores in those malls are opening well before midnight.

A down economy is a "real window of opportunity for the outlets," she said.

"They want to make certain that whatever advantage they have in the consumer's mind stays there," Humphers said. "They want to make sure they are convenient to consumers. Of all years, this is not the year to not be available to make a sale."

Humphers, who just returned from a retail development conference in France, said that developers around the globe were saying that right now the business is all about cash flow.

"Every single sale is important and they are doing what they can to make a sale," Humphers said. "The outlets are wanting that edge. You don't go to an outlet center on the spur of the moment unless you live near one. It's all about capturing those sales."

But Grannis of the retail federation said for most retailers, opening on Thanksgiving is not a given. They have to weigh out the staffing and costs against sales and traffic, she said. Most prefer to push their customers to online sales on Thanksgiving Day rather than opening their brick-and-mortar stores.

"Obviously retailers will weigh their options every year before they make a decision" about opening, she said. "I'm not sure that this is something that will become pervasive. If retailers feel like their customers will shop with them that day, they'll absolutely look into it."