A growing number of companies have pledged to close down on Thanksgiving Day to give employees a day off amid the hectic holiday season. 

For some, it is the first time in company history they are doing so.

In years past, retailers opened on Thanksgiving to try capitalizing on the hype of Black Friday shopping.

However, during the COVID-19 pandemic, this started to change. Instead, to thank their workers for their hard work on the front lines throughout the global health crisis, companies began closing on Thanksgiving to give employees extra time off.

For many big-box retailers, it has become a permanent trend. However, there are still several retailers, like CVS and Rite Aid, that remain open with modified hours.