Some Poplar Bluff stores have joined a growing number of retailers in keeping their doors closed on Thanksgiving day.
Menards and Sears Hometown Store are among about a dozen businesses locally that will stay home over the holiday, including Harbor Freight, Hobby Lobby, The Home Depot and Marshalls.
Sears Hometown owner John Ross feels a lot of people want to spend the holiday with friends and family, rather than shopping.
A survey from the bestblackfriday.com agrees, finding nearly 48 percent of people in 2018 are against stores staying open on Thanksgiving, compared to less than 25 percent in favor of it.
"One of the main things we like about it is it gives our employees and associates time to spend with their family," said Ross.
While his store has been open on past Thanksgiving holidays, he says sales have been the same whether the shopping weekend was longer or shorter.
"In the years we were open on Thanksgiving, I think we found a lot of times we were just spreading the business out over a longer period of time," Ross said.
At Menards, general manager Gary Dahl said the decision was also based on giving employees time with family.
"Being a family-owned company, Menards recognized Thanksgiving as a special holiday to celebrate with friends and family," said Dahl.
The National Retail Federation says more than 174 million Americans shopped in stores and online over the 2017 holiday weekend, compared to 164 million estimated shoppers from an earlier survey.
About 96 percent of weekend shoppers purchased something over the 5-day shopping event, spending $335 on average, according to the NRF.
Bestblackfriday.com found through their survey that women and older Americans are more likely to be against the idea of shopping on Thanksgiving day. Those aged 18-29 had the least dislike of it, with 14.92 percent strongly disliking the practice compared to 42.67 percent of those 60 and older.