But times are changing. Stores that have typically opened on Thanksgiving Day in the past like Target, Best Buy and the Glendale Galleria are closed this year.
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In fact, two of the only large retailers offering shopping on Thanksgiving Day were Bass Pro Shops and Big Lots.
"It's just a beautiful day to be out a little bit," said Irene Engkraft. "I think there's a lot of people who would prefer to do it (on Thanksgiving), instead of waiting for Friday to do everything when it's really busy."
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Some shoppers speculate that with online shopping becoming more and more popular, the need for stores to be open on Thanksgiving has dwindled. It instead allows many of those employees to celebrate the holiday at home with their families.
"This is great" said Andres Martinez of Riverside. "Giving people more time to spend with their families. Plus, there's always tomorrow."
Meanwhile, the Outlets at the Citadel will be open from 8 p.m. through 11 p.m. Friday.