Peachtree Mall bucking the Thanksgiving Day trend once again

Yes, it has been looking a lot like Christmas for weeks in many Columbus-area stores, with holiday displays set up with colorful ornaments, lights and artificial trees imported straight from China.

Now, the real question is which clothing and electronics retailers and shopping centers will decide to forgo opening their doors on Thanksgiving Day this year and miss out on getting a jump on the season for giving.

It’s becoming a trend, you know.

Already, the nation’s largest shopping complex, the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minn., has said it is sitting out this day of thanks to allow employees to spend time with their families.

Chattanooga, Tenn.-based CBL & Associates said it, too, was drawing a line of sorts in the shopping frenzy and leaving more than 70 of its malls closed on Turkey Day, with the exception of department stores, restaurants and movie theaters that have their own exterior entrances and allow customers through their doors.

It doesn’t appear Peachtree Mall on Manchester Expressway is joining the trend, however. General manager Onassis Burress said Thursday in a statement that the shopping center — after discussion with retailers and feedback from shoppers — has “made it optional” for retailers to open at 6 p.m. on Thanksgiving, just as it did last year.

“We continually evaluate mall programs and policies based upon our shoppers’ and retailers’ needs and requests,” Burress said. “Peachtree Mall and many of our retailers will open on Thanksgiving Day to allow customers an early start on their holiday shopping. Our objective is to always provide the best shopping experience.”

Both Macy’s and JCPenney will be welcoming customers on Thanksgiving, while Peachtree’s other large anchor department store, Dillard’s, once again has said it will not have its doors open or employees working during the holiday best known for feasting on turkey, dressing and pecan pie.

Other non-mall retailers in the area that likely will be closed, according to the website BestBlackFriday.com, include Barnes & Noble, Bed Bath & Beyond, Harbor Freight, hhgregg, Hobby Lobby, Home Depot, Jo-Ann Fabrics & Craft, Lowe’s, Marshalls, Petco, PetSmart, Pier 1 Imports, Sam’s Club, Staples, T.J. Maxx, Tractor Supply, Office Depot and OfficeMax.

The National Retail Federation has said it expects U.S. consumers to spend nearly $656 billion in November and December, excluding gas, autos and restaurant sales. That would be a 3.6 percent increase over last year.

Of course, that cash will be spread heavily from Thanksgiving through Dec. 24, with Black Friday and Cyber Monday promotions also fueling the spending bonanza. Some retailers have expressed concern that Thanksgiving Day shopping simply cannibalizes sales from both of those events and overall spending, while e-commerce continues to gain ground on old-style, brick-and-mortar retailers.

All of that said, perhaps the Mall of America and the retailers who have said ‘enough is enough’ — that they won’t take part in drawing families away from each other, that there are plenty of other days and ways left in the season to shop for material things — are on to something.

As a reporter who once again this year will be out covering those souls who can’t stay away from an absolutely amazing door-buster deal on Thanksgiving, I’ll drink a glass of sweet tea to that non-materialistic notion, and have a turkey leg and slice of pie to boot.

This story was originally published October 20, 2016 at 5:19 PM with the headline "Peachtree Mall bucking the Thanksgiving Day trend once again."