Target already has plans for Thanksgiving Day 2021 — and sorry, you’re not invited

The new year isn’t even a month old, and Target is already making plans for the 2021 holiday season.

The retailer announced Wednesday it plans to close stores on Thanksgiving Day this year.

Target closed for the holiday in 2020 in an effort to “minimize crowds and help our guests take the stress out” of holiday shopping during the coronavirus pandemic, the company said in a news release.

The retailer also shifted away from its normal approach to Black Friday, spreading out deals over the holiday season and allowing customers to use contactless payment and reserve their places in line outside stores.

“The response was so positive that we’ll carry it forward this year, keeping our Target stores closed all day long on Thanksgiving Day,” Target said.

Target is the first major retailer to announce its plans for the 2021 holiday season.

Last year, several retailers announced they’d close for Thanksgiving 2020 and adjust how they tackled Black Friday — the unofficial kick-off to the holiday shopping season known for drawing major crowds.

Walmart kicked off the announcements in July. It was the first time the retailer hadn’t opened on Thanksgiving Day since the late 1980s, USA Today reported.

Several popular retailers followed suit, including Best Buy, Bath and Body Works, Kohl’s and Macy’s.

In the wake of Target’s amended approach to the holidays, it saw an increase in holiday sales last year.

The retailer said its comparable sales increased 17.2% for November and December compared to the same period in 2019.

In-store sales were up more than 4% and online sales soared a whopping 102%, the company said.

Target said its comparable digital sales were driven by Target’s same-day services including order pick up, drive up and Shipt, which together grew 193% in November and December compared to those two months in 2019.

This story was originally published January 13, 2021 at 9:28 AM with the headline "Target already has plans for Thanksgiving Day 2021 — and sorry, you’re not invited."