The Grocery Stores, Retailers & More That Are Actually Open on Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving have you out of your usual routine? Here are some handy guides to the restaurants, fast food chains, and stores open on Thanksgiving Day. And if you're ready to start shopping right after dinner, here's when Black Friday starts at major retailers.

It should come as a relief that some stores remain open on Thanksgiving. After all, in our great and glorious land of consumer accessibility, it can feel like a personal insult to arrive at a closed JCPenney. How dare the company keep us barred from buying those Egyptian cotton sheets we just decided we wanted to get 10 minutes ago?

Well, I'm here to tell you that you can still get those sheets. You just have to be strategic. JCPenney is, in fact, open on Thanksgiving, but only after 2pm. Similarly, many of your other beloved retailers -- along with some grocery stores and pharmacies -- are open as well. Everywhere from Whole Foods to Walmart are safe bets if you need, say, a last-minute dinnerware set and some extra food. 

We've compiled a list with all the American gems we can think of, in a long list below. Just remember to be extra nice to all of the store employees you encounter who are stuck working on the holiday. And it couldn't hurt to give your local supermarket or big box store a call to double-check their hours before you head out in the early Black Friday shopping madness to find they're closed after all. 

Acme: Most stores open 7am to 11pm.
The Fresh Market: All stores open 8am to 3pm.
Fairway Market: Most stores open 7am to 11pm.
H.E.B.: All stores open 11am to 6pm. 
Winn-Dixie: Most stores open 7am to 10pm.
Kroger: Most stores are normal hours. 
Whole Foods: Open from 7am to 2pm.
Winn-Dixie: Most stores open 7am to 2pm.
Safeway: Normal opening, closes at 7pm.
Stop & Shop: Open until 5pm in Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey

We may not have included your local grocery store here, but we're sure that the following popular stores will be closed: Aldi, BJ's Wholesale Club, Costco, Publix, Sam's Club, and -- yes -- Trader Joe's. </3

Bass Pro Shops: Open from 8am to 6pm. Reopen at 5am on Black Friday.
Best Buy: Open from 5pm to 1am. Reopen at 8am on Black Friday.
Bed Bath & Beyond: Open from 5pm to midnight. Reopen 6am on Black Friday.
Big Lots: Open from 7am to midnight. Reopen at 6am on Black Friday.
Cabela’s: Open from 8am to 6pm. Reopen at 5am on Black Friday.
Dick's Sporting Goods: Open from 6pm to 2am on Friday. Reopen at 5am on Black Friday.
DSW: Most stores open from 5pm to 10pm. Reopen at 7am on Black Friday.
GameStop: Open from 3pm to 10pm. Reopen at 7am on Black Friday.
JCPenney: Open from 2pm on Thanksgiving to 10pm on Black Friday.
Kmart: Open from 6am to midnight. Reopen at 6am on Black Friday.
Kohl's: Open from 5pm on Thanksgiving to 11pm on Black Friday. 
Macy's: Open from 5pm to 2am. Reopen at 6am on Black Friday.
Michaels: Open from 6pm to midnight. Reopen at 7am on Black Friday.
Old Navy: Most stores open from 3pm Thanksgiving to 10pm on Black Friday.
Sears: Open from 6pm to midnight. Reopen at 5am on Black Friday.
Target: Open from 5pm to 1am. Reopen at 7am on Black Friday.
Walmart: Most stores open Thanksgiving. Deals start at 6pm on Thanksgiving.

FYI: Maine, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island have laws prohibiting larger big-box stores from opening on Turkey Day. Those are the Targets, Walmarts, and Home Depots, etc. Definitely, double-check if you're over there.

CVS: Most stores open normal hours, but many pharmacies will be closed.
Walgreens: Most stores open normal hours, but many pharmacies will be closed.
Kroger: Most stores open normal hours, but many pharmacies will be closed.

We highly recommend calling your local stores to confirm if their hours. And kissing your relatives goodbye at Thanksgiving before you hop in the car book it to Kohl's. 

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