Shopping mall giant Simon Property Group will not open its malls on Thanksgiving Day

Simon Property Group, which owns hundreds of shopping malls in the U.S. and abroad, will not open its locations on Thanksgiving Day.

“In these challenging times, we made the decision that we will not open on Thanksgiving Day, instead allowing our associates to spend the holiday with their loved ones,” David Simon, chairman, chief executive officer and president of the company, announced in a Monday news release.

The group said its properties would reopen on Black Friday.

Simon lists 205 shopping and outlet malls across the U.S. on its website.

You can view their full list of properties here.

Simon Property Group is the latest company to announce that it will keep its doors closed on Turkey Day, a shift that was not unexpected by experts.

“With everything that’s going on, there may be no Black Friday at all,” Scott Rankin, retail strategy leader with KPMG US, told CNN in July. “I can’t imagine retailers buying inventory to stock up for an event designed to pack hundreds of people into a store. There are so many risks to that.”

Walmart was the first to announce it would be closing its stores, as well as Sam’s Club stores, on Thanksgiving Day. While Sam’s Club typically closes for the holiday, it was a big move for Walmart, which historically offers holiday shopping deals Thanksgiving evening.

“We know this has been a trying year, and our associates have stepped up. We hope they will enjoy a special Thanksgiving Day at home with their loved ones,” John Furner, Walmart U.S. president, said in a July 21 release.

Target and Dick’s Sporting Goods followed suit on July 27.

Target said its decision is part of an effort to make the “holiday shopping experience simple, safe and stress-free” for employees and guests during the coronavirus pandemic.

On July 28, Best Buy said it would close its more than 900 stores for Thanksgiving, with Kohl’s making its announcement the same day.

“Given the importance of safety and convenience, we expect more customers to shop earlier, search for great deals throughout the season, and take advantage of our online and omnichannel conveniences,” Kohl’s said.

The retailers have not shared detailed Black Friday plans but have said they’ll release more information in the future.