GameStop, the world’s largest dedicated video game retail chain says it’s taking a stand this holiday season. GameStop nor any of the stores it owns, will open on Thanksgiving Day. Additionally, they won’t open when clocks strike midnight either.
In a press release out this morning GameStop revealed that it has decided to not open its stores on Thanksgiving Day. In fact, the company won’t open its stores at Midnight, forcing its employees to interrupt their holiday festivities either.
“We believe strongly that our customers and associates should have the opportunity to spend the Thanksgiving holiday relaxing with family and friends, and not worrying with the stress of where to find the best shopping deals. We know this is in stark contrast to what many other retailers are doing, but we are taking a stance to protect family time during this important holiday,” the company says. It’s a surprising stance considering GameStop stores did open at Midnight last year. The company does note that it’ll offer even bigger deals this holiday season, but put the focus on its websites instead of physical stores.
All told, its a pretty interesting move for any retailer to cede Thanksgiving night sales. Of course, it’s unclear if last year’s midnight sales performance had anything to do with that decision. It is worth noting that the retailer doesn’t seem to have a problem with holiday calendar creep. With this press release it’s officially promoting Black Friday plans ahead of almost every other retailer besides K-Mart.