The nation’s largest shopping mall says it will be closed on Thanksgiving.
Mall of America has taken a stand against the growing trend of Thanksgiving shopping and will be closed on the turkey feast this year.
The center, based in Bloomington, Minnesota, has been open on Thanksgiving since 2012. But mall officials told The Associated Press it wants to offer workers time with their families.
The mall will re-open at 5 a.m. on the Friday after Thanksgiving.
The Friday after Thanksgiving had long served as the official kickoff to the holiday shopping season. But over the past several years, opening onThanksgiving has become the new tradition as malls and stores try to compete with online retailers.
Many major stores like Macy’s, Target and J.C. Penney have opened increasingly earlier on Thanksgiving. But the move has also been controversial as many workers have complained and signed petitions that stores are putting profits over workers’ time to be with their families.
Mall of America’s move could impact 14,000 employees who work at the mall or at one of its tenants. The number includes 1,200 mall employees.
Still, Mall of America said some of its tenants may choose to be open on Thanksgiving. So it will have security and other key personnel on duty to ensure smooth operations.
Given its size and status, the Mall of America could inspire other malls and stores to follow suit. Many of the major retailers and malls have not made their plans for the Thanksgiving weekend season public.