Target closed its stores on Thanksgiving for good last year

• The Target chain decided to keep its stores closed on Thanksgiving.
• Target’s closure for Thanksgiving will be permanent.
• Target also closed its stores to prevent crowds during the pandemic.

Don’t expect to go shopping at Target in person on Thanksgiving. Target will no longer open its stores on Thanksgiving Day, making the policy for the unofficial start of the holiday shopping season permanent after it was put into place during the coronavirus pandemic in 2020.

To limit store crowds last year, retailers were forced to extend what was traditionally a weekend shopping spree into a protracted event, with holiday sales starting as early as October. This forced change appears to have been fortuitous, ABC News said on Monday, November 22.

Target Announces New Policy for Thanksgiving

Christmas sales in the United States during the months of November and December increased 8.2% from the previous year, according to the National Retail Federation, the nation’s largest commercial retail group. The trade group predicts that 2021 could smash that record, growing between 8.5% and 10.5%, ABC News detailed.

Americans, who can get the same offers for a longer period of time, easing some of the pressure that accompanies the holidays, appear to have accepted the change, added the report published on Monday.

Target CEO states that the Thanksgiving policy is «our new standard.»

«What started as a temporary measure driven by the pandemic is now our new standard, which recognizes our ability to satisfy our customers’ holiday wishes both in and out of store hours,» wrote Target CEO Brian Cornell, in a note addressed to employees.

Target’s new rule, in addition to very healthy sales last year, could push other retailers to follow suit. Call and distribution centers will be staffed on Thanksgiving, Target said Monday, but stores will remain closed.

The change at Target on Thanksgiving will be permanent

Target began opening its stores on Thanksgiving a decade ago, joining other retailers in kicking off Black Friday sales a day early and creating a holiday run after the turkey feast. Many did so to compete with Amazon and other rising online threats, ABC News explained.

But the change seemed to simply cannibalize Black Friday sales. And large retailers suffered some backlash from critics who said thousands of people were forced to work, rather than be with family, on the holiday.

Other stores could join Target’s Thanksgiving decision

Some stores and malls, such as the Mall of America in Minnesota, ended this practice and remained closed on Thanksgiving. Some, like Costco and Nordstrom, never opened their doors during the holiday, saying they wanted to respect the holiday.

Historically, Thanksgiving has not been a big sales day in general, nor has it been one of the top 10, because stores usually open their doors at around 5:00 p.m. However, it has been a great day for online sales. Last year, the holiday was second only to Cyber ​​Monday and Black Friday in online sales, according to the Adobe Digital Economy Index cited by ABC News.

FDA Expands Onion Recall Linked to Salmonella Outbreak

A few days before Thanksgiving, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) expanded its recall of onions, adding more products to a list linked to a salmonella outbreak that has made at least 892 people sick.

The recalls announced Monday include onions from Alsum Farms & Produce, Inc., delivered to select retailers in Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, and Pennsylvania, as well as some onions supplied by Keeler Family Farms and sold as Green Giant Fresh onions in Illinois.

FDA expands recall of onions

The recall does not affect any Green Giant canned or frozen vegetable products. While the salmonella outbreak was first reported in mid-September, the FDA didn’t link the growing outbreak to onions until October, USA Today reported.

As of Tuesday, the salmonella outbreak had caused at least 183 hospitalizations in 38 states, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported. The U.S. agency said the investigation is still active.

«If you can’t tell where the onions are from, don’t buy or eat them.»

Authorities ask consumers to be especially careful, considering that onion is an ingredient in many Thanksgiving foods. “If you can’t tell where the onions are from, don’t buy or eat them,” says the CDC. “Wash surfaces and containers that these onions may have touched with hot soapy water or in a dishwasher.”

All affected onions were imported from Mexico between July 1 and August 31 and supplied by ProSource Produce LLC and Keeler Family Farms, according to the CDC. The onions have been distributed to wholesalers, restaurants, and retail stores.

All the contaminated onions were imported from Chihuahua

The CDC reported that all of the contaminated onions were imported from Chihuahua, Mexico. The FDA recall currently includes some Keeler Family Farms onions (red, yellow, and white) distributed in 25 pound and 50 pound mesh bags marked MVP.

Also included in the recall are some raw red, yellow, and white onions from ProSource Produce LLC distributed in mesh bags and boxes of various sizes under various brands, including Big Bull, Peak Fresh Produce, Sierra Madre, Markon First Crop, Markon Essentials, Rio Blue, ProSource, Rio Valley, and Sysco Imperial.

Brands included in the recall

Included in the recall are onions in food kits shipped by EveryPlate and HelloFresh from July 7 to September 8. It also includes some Green Giant Fresh whole yellow onions in 2 pound, 3 pound, and 5 pound bags; whole white onions in 2 pound bags; and whole red onions in 2 pound bags from ProSource Produce with UPC codes 60580600120-8, 60580600123-9, 60580600170-3, 60580600218-2, and 60580600248-9.

Also included are some Pier-C Produce whole 2 pound white onions from Keeler Family Farms with UPC code 03338360051-2; some fresh whole yellow onions from Alsum Farms & Produce in 3 pound, 5 pound, and 50 pound boxes; fresh whole white onions in 2 pound bags; and fresh whole red onions in 2 pound bags from Keeler Family Farms.

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