Don’t worry! Despite the headline, Home Depot and its 2,000 stores are not in danger of closing down —despite having been on the verge of bankruptcy as a company. However, the closure of all its stores for 24 hours is due to a national holiday, not economic problems. We must remember that, even though we all seem to work every day of the year, there are national holidays when stores are allowed to give themselves and their employees a break.
Before the end of the year, Home Depot will close its doors on two specific days: Thanksgiving, which will be the fourth Thursday in November, and Christmas Day (December 25). If, for some strange reason, you need to buy building and DIY materials on one of those days—we don’t blame you if you’re one of those people who avoids family gatherings at all costs—we warn you that you’ll find the doors closed. Forewarned is forearmed, so we suggest you buy what you need from Home Depot in advance.
A well-deserved 24-hour break
Although every year there are reports that Home Depot is closing, the truth is that this is all part of an annual company policy. Unlike other companies such as Cosco, Home Depot closes all its locations in the United States two days a year, on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. Both are holidays known for focusing on family unity and taking a break from work. This tradition ensures that Home Depot employees can enjoy time off with their families and loved ones. However, Home Depot opens with its usual or extended hours for the famous Black Friday.
Banks and post offices tend to close more often, but this does not mean that all private commercial activity stops. Home Depot, on the other hand, does not close on most federal holidays. A federal holiday means that government offices and banking services are closed. However, companies such as Walmart and Home Depot do not mince words; closing their doors means losing money, and as a private sector company, they do not like that very much. Retail and home improvement stores operate under very different rules than U.S. government agencies.
This is why on holidays such as Memorial Day, Labor Day, and Independence Day, you will find stores open, but not banks or government offices.
The decline of Black Friday
We don’t know for sure what has happened to Black Friday: it may be due to the rise of online sales with very competitive prices, or perhaps due to the lower cost of producing material goods. What we do know is that Black Friday sales have lost a lot of steam. During the last century, Thanksgiving gave way to Black Friday, where people resorted to physical aggression to get the items they wanted at a big discount.
It got to the point where many people left their family dinner halfway through to go to the store where they planned to buy, for example, a television, a stereo, or toys for the children that they would give them for Christmas.
Fortunately, this practice has been reversed in recent years. After 2020, many of the leading retail chains changed course. Home Depot, Target, Walmart, and Lowe’s also close their doors on Thanksgiving Day. Stores reopen early on Black Friday morning, but they no longer open at midnight. Today, most retail store employees enjoy a quiet dinner with their families, go to bed, and go to work early.
So remember, if you have a DIY project coming up in the next few months, remember to buy your materials in advance. Don’t be one of those people who wait until the last minute to go to the store. That way, you won’t run the risk of finding Home Depot with the lights off and its employees eating roast turkey at home.