CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Thanksgiving feasts are done and over with. At this point in the fast, some shoppers would already be out early Black Friday shopping on Thanksgiving night. But many stores announced they will stay closed on Thanksgiving Day.
Kohl's, Target, and Best Buy have all announced plans to close on Thanksgiving again this year. Walmart and Target, which used to have at least limited hours on Thanksgiving, began closing their doors during the holiday in 2020 as the coronavirus pandemic continued. The two companies and many others continued the closures in recent years.
Megan Lawls is just one shopper who was already out shopping after finishing Thanksgiving dinner.
“I was pretty shocked there was only one store open in Charlotte," she said. “Black Friday usually starts on Thanksgiving.”
While some stores are staying closed, online shopping is growing. According to Digital Commerce 360, it's projected in 2022 that online spending will grow 6.1% from last year.
Joseph Von Nessen, an economics expert with the University of South Carolina's Darla Moore School of Business, said while people are spending, the shoppers will most likely have tighter budgets.
“This will be a good holiday season overall in the Carolinas," Von Nessen said. “Most workers have seen wage gains, but prices are higher.”
Contact Austin Walker at awalker@wcnc.com and follow him on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.