With the holiday season quickly approaching, many of us are immersed in the hustle and bustle of making travel plans and meticulously crafting recipes for festive baking gatherings. Amidst this flurry of activity, we often forget to appreciate that our favorite retail stores work tirelessly to accommodate our schedules, ensuring we have access to those essential ingredients, like nutmeg, that we might have overlooked in our cabinets.
Some of the retail giants we rely on, such as Walmart and Costco, have earned our loyalty by keeping their doors open for long hours, even during holidays, and remaining a dependable resource in times of need.
However, the landscape has shifted since 2020. The peak of the pandemic saw the sudden closure of grocery stores, strip malls, barber shops, bakeries, and even multinational retail giants, all in the name of safety and well-being. Now, as businesses have reopened, retailers are not only focused on the welfare of their customers but also on the health and happiness of their employees.
In this changing environment, some retailers are making permanent adjustments to their holiday schedules. One notable example is Sam’s Club, which is owned by Walmart. Following Walmart’s announcement that it would be closed on Thanksgiving in 2023, Sam’s Club is taking a similar approach for Christmas.
CEO John Furner expressed his delight in sharing the news: “I am delighted to share that once again, we’ll be closing our doors for Thanksgiving this year. Thanksgiving is such a special day during a very busy season. We want you to spend that day at home with family and loved ones.” This marks Walmart’s fourth consecutive Thanksgiving closure, and now, Sam’s Club is joining in by adopting a comparable strategy for Christmas.
Sam’s Club has introduced what it calls “Holiday Shopping Hours” and “Special Hours” during the holiday season. These hours are as follows:
- Holiday Shopping Hours (Nov. 22-Dec. 23): Monday-Sunday, open until 8 PM.
- Special Hours (Christmas Eve, Dec. 24, and New Year’s Eve, Dec. 31): Open until 6 PM.
On Christmas Day, Sam’s Club will close its roughly 600 stores, aligning with Walmart’s decision to shutter its nearly 4,500 stores, along with Target’s 2,000 locations. Even grocery store chains like Kroger, Whole Foods, and Trader Joe’s will observe the holiday by remaining closed.
However, for those last-minute holiday shoppers, some stores will have extended hours or remain open on Christmas Eve, providing a convenient option for those seeking that perfect gift or essential item. These stores include Kohl’s, Apple, Best Buy, CVS, Big Lots, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Macy’s, JC Penney, Kmart, Petco, Old Navy, Walmart, Target, and Sears.
