For the first time since 2014, The Galleria in Dallas will be mostly closed on Thanksgiving.
Mall management cited the expanding holiday shopping season as one reason why, cutting into the number of people out shopping on Thanksgiving Day.
“I think, at the time we were open for Thanksgiving, retailers were not doing Black Friday deals before Black Friday,” Galleria General Manager Angie Freed said.
Only Macy's and the mall's other "anchor" stores will be open on Thanksgiving with small stores, like Apricot Lane Boutique, closing up to focus instead on Black Friday.
“It brings back the excitement of Black Friday, it brings people back early that morning,” Apricot Lane co-owner Allison Scott said.
Scott is among many retailers who said they support the idea of being closed on Thanksgiving and marketing experts said it’s also a strategy that has very little downside.
“They are not losing anything, marketing-wise, because they are gearing it all toward the end of the week anyway, so it’s a double bonus,” Maddie Lauo, with IT Crowd Marketing said.
