The holiday shopping season officially kicks off the day after Thanksgiving, with many stores opening Thanksgiving Day.

» Walmart to throw cookies-and-coffee party before sale begins Thanksgiving

This year, however, a record number of retailers have decided not to open Thanksgiving Day. BestBlackFriday.com released its official list of closings recently, with 75 stores confirming they will not be open.

BestBlackFriday.com said it personally confirmed the status with a representative or PR contact from each of these retailers, and the list will be updated daily as more stores make their decision.

» All the Black Friday deals to catch in 2018

The website’s annual survey of shoppers showed 28.99 percent of the 1,069 people who responded “Strongly Dislike Thanksgiving Day Openings,” and 18.67 percent “Dislike” stores being open.

» Black Friday 2018: Target rolls out Black Friday ad

When BestBlackFriday.com contacted retailers to confirm their status, some gave official statements on why they chose to close on Thanksgiving.

Costco: "As an appreciation of all the hard work our employees do over the course of the year, we have always closed on Thanksgiving to give our employees a chance to relax and enjoy time with their families."

Guitar Center: "At its core, music is about bringing people together. Guitar Center will close all stores on Thanksgiving Day to ensure our store employees have the opportunity to spend quality time with friends and family, fostering connections and shared experiences through music." — Wayne Colwell, EVP of stores, Guitar Center

Mattress Firm: "At Mattress Firm, we value the importance of family and tradition. As in years past, we will not be opening our stores on Thanksgiving Day. We appreciate the hard work and dedication of our employees throughout the year. We know the power of sleep and believe our team deserves this time to rest and spend time with their loved ones." — Steve Stagner, executive chairman, president and CEO of Mattress Firm

» Macy's releases 2018 Black Friday deals

» Atlanta Black Friday 2018 shopping updates

Here is the list of closings so far. BestBlackFriday.com says it will update the list as new stores confirm their status.

  • A.C. Moore
  • Abt Electronics
  • Academy Sports + Outdoors
  • Ace Hardware
  • Acme Tools
  • Allen Edmonds
  • American Girl
  • At Home
  • AT&T (Company-Owned Stores)
  • Barnes & Noble
  • Big 5 Sporting Goods
  • BJ's Wholesale Club
  • Blain's Farm & Fleet
  • Bob's Discount Furniture
  • Burlington
  • Christopher & Banks
  • Cost Plus World Market
  • Costco
  • Craft Warehouse
  • Crate and Barrel
  • Dillard's
  • dressbarn (majority of stores)
  • El Dorado Furniture
  • Fleet Farm
  • Gander Outdoors
  • Gardner-White Furniture
  • Guitar Center
  • H&M
  • Half Price Books
  • Harbor Freight Tools
  • Hobby Lobby
  • Home Depot
  • HomeGoods
  • Homesense
  • IKEA
  • JOANN Stores
  • Lamps Plus
  • Lowe's
  • Mall of America
  • Marshalls
  • Mattress Firm
  • Menards
  • Micro Center
  • Music & Arts
  • Nebraska Furniture Mart
  • Nordstrom
  • Nordstrom Rack
  • Northern Tool
  • Office Depot & OfficeMax
  • Outdoor Research
  • P.C. Richard & Son
  • Patagonia
  • Pep Boys
  • Petco
  • PetSmart
  • Pier 1 Imports
  • Publix
  • Raymour & Flanigan Furniture | Mattresses
  • REI
  • Sam's Club
  • Sierra Trading Post
  • Sportsman's Warehouse
  • Sprint (Retail Stores Closed Unless Mall Dictates Otherwise; Mall Kiosks May Open)
  • Staples
  • Stein Mart
  • Sur La Table
  • The Container Store
  • The Original Mattress Factory
  • The Paper Store
  • TJ Maxx
  • Tractor Supply Co.
  • Trader Joe's
  • Trollbeads
  • Von Maur
  • West Marine

About the Author