Mall of America to close for Thanksgiving

NEW YORK -- Mall of America, the nation's largest shopping mall, anchored by Macy's, H&M and others, has taken a stand against the growing trend of Thanksgiving shopping and will be closed on the turkey feast this year.

The center, based in Bloomington, Minnesota, has been open on Thanksgiving since 2012. But mall officials said they want to offer workers time with their families.

The mall will reopen at 5 a.m. the Friday after Thanksgiving.

"We think Thanksgiving is a day for families and for people we care about," said Jill Renslow, the mall's senior vice president of marketing. "We want to give this day back."

The Friday after Thanksgiving had long served as the official kickoff to the holiday shopping season. But over the past several years, Thanksgiving has become the new tradition as malls and stores try to outdo others to get their first dibs on the shopper at a time of increasing competition from online retailers. Many major stores such as Macy's, Target and J.C. Penney have opened increasingly earlier on Thanksgiving.

But the move also has been controversial, as many workers have voiced complaints and signed petitions saying stores are putting profits over workers' time to be with their families.

Office-supplies retailer Staples Inc. announced last month it will close on Thanksgiving for the second year in a row, though it will offer deals on its website. High-end stores such as Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom and Saks Fifth Avenue have remained closed on that day.

Given its size and status, the Mall of America could inspire other malls and stores to follow suit. Many major retailers and malls have not made their plans for the Thanksgiving weekend season public.

Mall of America's move could affect 14,000 employees who work at the mall or at one of its tenants.