Walmart Will End a Decades Old Thanksgiving Tradition
Walmart will put an end to a long running Thanksgiving tradition. The retailer announced Tuesday that it would be closed on Thanksgiving Day this year to thank employees for their hard work during the current pandemic.
“We know this has been a trying year, and our associates have stepped up. We hope they will enjoy a special Thanksgiving Day at home with their loved ones,” said John Furner, President and CEO of Walmart U.S. “We are certainly thankful to our people for all of their efforts.”
The Thanksgiving Thursday is usually the start of the holiday shopping season and Black Friday weekend. The last time Walmart closed on Thanksgiving was in the late 1980s, over three decades ago. The company says it will release more details of its Black Friday plans at a future date. Walmart stores and Sam’s Club locations will operate normal hours on Wednesday, Nov. 25.
In the announcement, Walmart also said it will pay out another special cash bonus to store, club, distribution center and fulfillment center associates for their ongoing contributions and dedication to serving customers, members and communities during this unprecedented time. The bonus will be $300 for full-time hourly associates and $150 for part-time hourly and temporary associates. Drivers, Managers and Assistant Managers in stores, clubs, DCs, FCs and Health & Wellness will also receive a bonus. It will add up to approximately $428 million.
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The long running tradition of forcing people to work on Thanksgiving won’t be missed.
They did this for one reason only – to save money. Proof of this is they are one of the only major stores out there to still have reduced hours (all their stores ares till closed at 8:30) which they are doing for no reason other than to save money. The sad part is reduced hours means more people in the store at a time which means increased chance of spreading the virus.
Please explain how Walmart is saving money by paying the same fixed costs when closed-while making zero sales. The cost of burdened labor does not justify closing ” to save money”. Also, I assume you are using the internet to determine operating hours by stating “all there stores are still closed at 8:30”. While I see Polson, Montana (near my present location) shows on the internet as closing at 10:00 (correct)– the internet shows an 8:30 close for the Cockeysville, MD location. I visit that location and they now close at 11:00.