Dick's Sporting Goods has joined Walmart and Target in announcing it will be closed on Thanksgiving. The move, announced Monday, comes as stores are rethinking this year's Black Friday shopping bonanza weekend — along with other key retail days during the holiday season -- due to the coronavirus pandemic.
"We are so thankful to our teammates for their hard work and dedication," Ed Stack, Dick's chairman and CEO said in a statement. "They have navigated this year with strength, commitment and care for each other and for our customers. We will continue to do all we can to support them and show our gratitude."
The closures include specialty stores Golf Galaxy and Field & Stream.
Stores always depended on big holiday crowds and work as much as a year in advance with manufacturers on securing exclusive items. Now, the virus has turned the holiday shopping model upside down. Stores have slashed orders and crowds are an anathema. With fears of a wave of virus cases in the fall, the biggest nightmare would be if retailers had to reclose during the most critical time of the year, analysts said.
The retailers have not announced their plans for Black Friday, but analysts say they believe that they will pivot their business more online and focus on limiting the number of shoppers in stores.
Dick's also said employees will continue to receive a 15% pay premium through the end of the year.