Target stores to close on Thanksgiving Day

Target stores nationwide will be closed on Thanksgiving Day, company officials announced Monday.

Officials said the decision to close the more than 1,800 Target locations nationwide for the holiday was made in light of the threat posed by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, along with other changes planned for the holiday shopping season.

“This year more than ever, a joyful holiday will be inseparable from a safe one, and we’re continuing to adjust our plans to deliver ease, value and joy of the season in a way that only Target can,” Target CEO Brian Cornell said in a news release.

The company also plans to extend sale pricing online and to make more than 20,000 more of its products available for pickup or delivery by contact-less same-day services.

Since March, Target has taken several measures company-wide to protect employees and stymie the spread of the coronavirus, including requiring employees wear masks and sanitizing carts and baskets between use.

Last week, officials with Walmart announced that the company’s stores, which include nearly 600 Sam’s Club locations, will be closed for Thanksgiving Day.

The United States leads the world with the most coronavirus cases and the highest death toll. Since the start of the pandemic, officials have confirmed more than 4.2 million infections and reported more than 146,000 deaths nationwide, according to numbers compiled by Johns Hopkins University.

As of Monday morning, more than 16.2 million COVID-19 cases have been reported worldwide and more than 648,000 people have died of the viral infection, according to Johns Hopkins.

Cox Media Group