MORE PEOPLE NEGATIVE THAN POSITIVE

50% of Americans oppose stores opening all day on Thanksgiving Day, saying it detracts from the traditional celebration, according to new research by LoyaltyOne, a customer loyalty program company. However, 33% say having stores open all day on Thanksgiving is a great idea that provides more time for holiday gift shopping. 17% can’t make up their mind.

It is older consumers, however, who tend to object to Thanksgiving shopping. Only 16% of people 55-plus who were surveyed said staying open all day on Thanksgiving is a great idea. But in the all-important Millennial demographic (ages 18-34), attitudes about stores being open all day on Thanksgiving shift dramatically compared to the general population (ages 18 and older). No less than 50% of consumers age 18-24 say all-day shopping on Thanksgiving is a great idea. That support dropped only slightly to 48% in the 25-34 year-old age group. There’s also a gender difference. 37% of men say being open all day on Thanksgiving is a great idea, compared with 29% of women.

There is a definite trend toward opening earlier and earlier on Thanksgiving Day, rather than waiting until Black Friday. Macy’s, for example, is opening at 6:00 pm this year, moving the start back from 8:00 pm last year and midnight in 2011. J.C. Penney is going for one-upmanship with a 5:00 pm opening this year. Among department stores, Dillard’s and Nordstrom are bucking the trend and will let employees spend all of Thanksgiving with their families.