Best Buy will close stores on Thanksgiving 2021

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LOS ANGELES - Best Buy said its stores will once again be closed on Thanksgiving Day 2021, joining a growing list of major retailers who have already announced similar plans.

The company said it plans to offer Black Friday deals online and in the Best Buy app.

"Last year, thanks to the extraordinary work of our employees, we helped millions of customers with their holiday shopping during Black Friday weekend. We offered all of our hottest deals online, expanded our curbside pickup options and developed faster shipping methods to ensure customers had what they needed in time for the holiday," a Best Buy spokesperson told FOX TV Stations.

Similarly, Target and Walmart will also be closing their doors on Thanksgiving this year to show appreciation for the hard work their employees put in amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Both retailers encouraged shoppers to utilize online deals.

FILE - View of a Best Buy advertising at a window mall, in Mexico City.

Target’s leaders said in January their data showed customers faired very well during the holiday shopping season in November and December 2020. According to the company, customers bought 150 million items using the store’s drive-up and order pickup options, more than four times the amount during the same time period in 2019.

"Sales on same-day services grew 193 percent," Target said in its statement, comparing the figures to 2019. "Drive Up grew more than 500 percent. Approximately 95 percent of Target’s sales were fulfilled by its stores."

Walmart commended their employees for last year’s work, calling their actions "nothing short of heroic." The big box retailer made the announcement June 4, saying all of its locations in the United States will close Nov. 25 as a "thank you" to employees "for their continued hard work during the pandemic."

"Throughout the pandemic, our associates have been nothing short of heroic in how they have stepped up to serve our customers and their communities," said Dacona Smith, executive vice president and chief operating officer for Walmart U.S. "Closing our stores on Thanksgiving Day is one way we’re saying ‘thank you’ to our teams for their dedication and hard work this year. We hope everyone will take the opportunity to be with their loved ones during what’s always a special time."

Stores will operate regular posted hours on Wednesday, Nov. 24. Walmart has not yet revealed store hours for Black Friday on Nov. 26, and says that information will be announced at a later date.

Chris Williams, Kelly Hayes and FOX 13 Tampa Bay contributed to this report.