Walmart to close all U.S. stores on Thanksgiving as 'thank you' to employees

Walmart announced that it will close all of its US stores on Thanksgiving Day for a second consecutive year.

The big box retailer made the announcement Friday, saying all of its locations in the U.S. will close Nov. 25 as a "thank you" to employees "for their continued hard work during the pandemic."

This will be the second year that Walmart has closed its doors on Thanksgiving Day to give time back to its workers, when it is usually a precursor to the big shopping deals for Black Friday.

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"Throughout the pandemic, our associates have been nothing short of heroic in how they have stepped up to serve our customers and their communities," said Dacona Smith, executive vice president and chief operating officer for Walmart U.S. "Closing our stores on Thanksgiving Day is one way we’re saying ‘thank you’ to our teams for their dedication and hard work this year. We hope everyone will take the opportunity to be with their loved ones during what’s always a special time."

Stores will operate regular posted hours on Wednesday, Nov. 24. Walmart has not yet revealed store hours for Black Friday on Nov. 26, and says that information will be announced at a later date.