Walmart to close all its stores on Thanksgiving

Move amid pandemic may spur change in Black Friday

NEW YORK — Walmart Inc. said that it will be closing its namesake stores and Sam’s Clubs on Thanksgiving Day this year, saying that it wants to have its employees spend time with their families during the coronavirus.

The move, announced Tuesday, marks the first major indication of how COVID-19 will affect Black Friday store shopping, which for almost a decade kicked off with big crowds on the turkey feast and expanded into Friday. However, given safety concerns, stores are rethinking their plans for the kickoff.

Given Walmart’s clout as the nation’s largest retailer, other major retailers could follow its lead.

Macy’s CEO Jeff Gennette said this month that the department store will be pivoting its Black Friday business more toward online and will likely be going “full force” with holiday marketing after Halloween. It also will be staggering events to reduce customer traffic in the stores.

Walmart U.S. CEO John Furner made the announcement in a letter Tuesday to employees.

“We know holiday shopping will be different this year, and we will be managing sales events differently,” Furner said. “Our best ideas come from our associates, and this year we have decided to close our stores on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 26.”

The suggestion to close Walmart stores this year came from Kevin Carlyle, a manager at the retailer’s Round Rock, Texas, location. Carlyle wrote to headquarters in Bentonville, Arkansas, to say that day off would be appreciated.

Sam’s Club locations were also closed last Thanksgiving.

The traditional family gathering holiday became another day to shop about five years ago when major national retailers moved early morning Black Friday doorbusters into late Thursday afternoon. There was a consumer backlash, but not enough to end the new hours.

Walmart also said Tuesday that it will be giving out another round of bonuses for workers on the front lines of the coronavirus.

The company said that it will be doling out $300 for full-time hourly workers and $150 for part-time hourly and temporary workers. Drivers, managers and assistant managers in stores, clubs, distribution centers and fulfillment centers and health and wellness will also receive a bonus. The new bonuses are separate from quarterly and year-end bonuses and will total $428 million, Walmart said.

The bonuses will be included in Aug. 20 paychecks for eligible workers employed as of July 31.

“Our associates have been working at an incredible pace, they’ve solved problems, and they’ve set an amazing example for others,” Furner said. “To further appreciate their incredible work, we are pleased to share another special cash bonus.”

Walmart and others have been under increasing pressure by labor-backed groups to extend bonus pay for front-line workers as surges in new coronavirus cases have spiked in many states.