Staples Thanksgiving Day, Black Friday 2015 Plans Confirmed

Staples announced the first of their Black Friday 2015 plans this week, jumping ahead of the competition with a bold and surprising move that many are hoping other retailers will follow.

Embracing the opportunities that come from the ability to shop from our iPhone, Android, iPad or computer Staples is closing on Thanksgiving Day and will open on Black Friday at 6 AM.

“Staples.com will feature amazing deals on Thanksgiving Day, giving customers the convenience of shopping from home while stores are closed” announced the Staples press release, which marks a shift in stores opening for Black Friday on Thanksgiving Day.

“We want our customers and associates to enjoy Thanksgiving their own way,” said Demos Parneros, president, North American stores and online, Staples in the announcement. “On Thanksgiving Day, customers can shop from home on Staples.com and then continue their shopping in stores starting at 6 a.m. on Black Friday. Whether our customers like the convenience of shopping online, in our stores or a combination of both, Staples will have amazing products at great prices throughout the holiday season.”

This change is important considering 43.1 million shoppers made purchases on Thanksgiving Day 2014 according to the National Retail Federation, although this includes online shopping and in store purchases as well. This number is in line with the amount of Thanksgiving Day shoppers from 2013.

Black Friday is still the event of this weekend of shopping which includes Thanksgiving Day, Black Friday, Black Friday Weekend and Cyber Monday. In recent years we’ve seen an increase in online offers and in additional special shopping days that may take place in the coming weeks and months.

Staples is closed on Thanksgiving Day 2015, and will open for Black Friday 2015 at 6 AM.

Will other retailers follow suit and close for Thanksgiving Day 2015 sales? Walmart Black Friday sales started on Thanksgiving Day at 6PM last year. Last year Walmart President and CEO Greg Foran defended the company’s Thanksgiving Day Sales, telling reporters, “It’s absolutely appropriate that we open at 6 p.m.” Other retailers like Best Buy, Macy’s and JC Penny are also often open on Thanksgiving Day.

Some other retailers may not have a choice in closing on Thanksgiving Day. In 2014 we saw at least one mall threaten to fine stores that did not open early on Thanksgiving Day to start the Black Friday shopping.

The Black Friday 2015 plans are still coming together, or at least the public access to those plans. Black Friday is the day after Thanksgiving, which is November 27 , 2015. We traditionally see big discounts from retailers on this day online and in stores.