SEATTLE, Wash. — This story was originally published on MyNorthwest.com.
The holiday season is here, which means spending time with family and friends on Thanksgiving and, whether we like it or not, making last-minute trips to Washington stores to pick up those final items to help complete a Thanksgiving Day dinner once and for all.
Thanksgiving is celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November each year, which takes place today. Many national retailers are closing to give employees time with families and to recharge for the holidays ahead. That includes some of the biggest chains like Walmart and Target, which plan to re-open stores the day after Thanksgiving, known as Black Friday.
A word of warning: Store operations can vary by location. So, when in doubt, call ahead or look up more specific schedules for your neighborhood spots online.
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Is the local bank in Washington open on Thanksgiving?
No, U.S. stock markets and banks across the U.S. are closed on Thanksgiving Day as it is a Federal Reserve banking holiday.
Online banking services and ATMs will be available as usual, however.
Will mail and packages be delivered?
No, Thanksgiving Day is a holiday for the U.S. Postal Service (USPS), so it won’t be picking up or delivering mail. Post offices also will be closed.
According to USA Today, there will be no UPS pickup or delivery service. But UPS Express Critical service is available. Users should check their local UPS store hours, as many area locations will be closed.
Most FedEx services will also be closed, though FedEx Custom Critical will be open for crucial shipments, USA Today also noted.
Will I get my Amazon package on Thanksgiving Day?
Amazon deliveries will be made on Thanksgiving Day, but not all services are available.
A piece published on the ShipScience website explained Amazon has been delivering packages on Thanksgiving for at least a decade and it has expanded since then.
To check if Amazon will deliver on Thanksgiving, ShipScience, a company that provides technical solutions to businesses that require shipping, suggests visiting the Amazon website and entering the ZIP code where a package would be delivered.
One key point to consider is same-day delivery isn’t available on Thanksgiving Day, Amazon stated on its website. It is also not available on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.
Will government offices be open?
No, government offices, courts and schools are closed. Public libraries also will be closed.
Is Costco open?
No, all of the chain’s locations will be closed.
Thanksgiving is one of the seven holidays when Costco closes its U.S. warehouses. Locations will be closed on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.
Is Target open?
No, the retail chain will close all of its locations on Thanksgiving Day, according to USA Today. It will be the fifth consecutive year the company has done so.
According to a November 2021 statement, CEO Brian Cornell told team members Target stores will be closed on Thanksgiving Day “moving forward.” That holds true in 2024.
Are Kroger stores open?
Yes, the Kroger stores in Washington will be open on Thanksgiving Day. However, all locations will close earlier than they usually do.
A spokesperson confirmed to MyNorthwest that Fred Meyer stores will close at 4 p.m. and Quality Food Center (QFC) stores will close at 6 p.m.
You can check your local store’s hours here.
Are Safeway and Albertsons stores open?
Yes, Safeway and Albertsons stores will be open on Thanksgiving Day.
A spokesperson told MyNorthwestthat the locations will be open for their usual hours. But she also added that “the service departments around the perimeter of the store — bakery, meat/seafood, pharmacy, deli, floral — will all close at 4 p.m.”
There are 185 Safeway stores in the state of Washington. Head here to see your local Safeway hours.
There are 16 Albertsons locations in Washington. Visit here to see where those stores are located and their hours.
Is Whole Foods open?
Yes, Whole Foods locations will be open on Thanksgiving for part of the day.
A spokesperson confirmed to MyNorthwest this week that stores in the Seattle area will be open from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday.
Customers are encouraged to check their local store page for more details. Head here to find your local store.
Is Trader Joe’s open?
No, the grocery store chain’s stores will be closed on Thanksgiving Day.
The company stated its locations will be closed so its “crew members can spend Thanksgiving with family and friends.” A spokesperson confirmed the same position in an email to MyNorthwest.
Head here to find your local store if you need to go out on Wednesday or on Black Friday.
Is Walmart open?
No, Walmart will be closed on Thanksgiving Day, USA Today reports.
Stores will be open at 6 a.m. on Black Friday. Customers can search for locations here or view the 66 locations across the state of Washington here.
Seattle residents will have to go to Bellevue, Renton or Lynnwood to find their closest Walmart.
Is Walgreens open?
Some of the drugstore chain’s stores will be open. But most of the locations will be closed on Thanksgiving Day “for team member appreciation,” according to a message on the drug store chain’s homepage.
The 24-hour Walgreens stores locations will stay open Thursday, the company added. An online search by MyNorthwest editors indicated the only Walgreens location that is open 24 hours in Western Washington is in Issaquah.
In 2023, the company announced that, for the first time in the company’s history, most of its locations would be closed on Thanksgiving Day. The retailer said at that time that it was doing so “to give time back to its workforce,” Axios reported.
Head here to the company’s store locator page to find the location closest to you.
Are Amazon Fresh stores open?
Yes, the Amazon Fresh grocery stores will be open on Thanksgiving Day. A spokesman confirmed to MyNorthwest the stores will be open from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Pickup and delivery also is available — the last window on the holiday is 4-5 p.m.
Head here to see where the four Amazon Fresh locations in Washington are located.
Are Sam’s Club locations open?
No, Sam’s Club will be closed on Thanksgiving Day.
Sam’s Club closes for four holidays per year: Easter Sunday, Thanksgiving, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.
Other stores that will be open on Thanksgiving Day
The following is a rundown of some of the nation’s largest chains that are open on Thanksgiving.
Note that hours vary based on location and shoppers are encouraged to check ahead of time before visiting their nearest store:
- Bass Pro Shop and Cabela’s: Both stores will be open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Thursday, the company that operates both chains confirmed with USA Today.
- CVS
- Big Lots
- Family Dollar
- Dollar Tree
- Dollar General
- 7-Eleven
Which restaurants will be open on Thanksgiving Day in Washington?
The Seattle Times has compiled a list of restaurants in the city of Seattle and in several other Western Washington cities outside Seattle that are accepting walk-ins or still have reservations available.
For those people who want to skip the traditional Thanksgiving meal or for those who need refreshments while on a long trip to see family, the following chain restaurants will be open for customers, according to multiple reports:
- Starbucks: An online search of the chain’s website by MyNorthwest editors indicates most Seattle and other Western Washington stores will be open Thursday. However, operating hours will vary significantly by location and will differ from the daily schedules customers are accustomed to seeing.
- Burger King
- Denny’s
- IHOP
- McDonald’s
- Subway: All locations are independently owned and operated. So, interested consumers should check the chain’s website to ensure their local store is open.
- Taco Bell
- Wendy’s
Restaurant chains that will be closed on Thanksgiving Day include Chick-fil-A, Hardee’s and Carl’s Jr. and The Olive Garden, USA Today reported. Most KFC locations also will be closed.
Stores that will be closed on Thanksgiving Day
Below is a list of some of the nation’s largest chains that are closed on Thanksgiving.
- Barnes & Noble
- Best Buy
- Burlington
- Dick’s Sporting Goods
- DSW
- Hobby Lobby
- Home Depot
- HomeGoods
- JCPenney
- JOANN Stores
- Kohl’s
- Lowe’s
- Macy’s
- Marshalls
- Michaels
- Nordstrom
- Office Depot and OfficeMax
- Petco: A spokesperson confirmed to MyNorthwest that Petco will be closed on Thanksgiving Day. Stores will open at 8 a.m. on Black Friday.
- PetSmart
- REI
- Rite Aid
- Ross
- Staples
- TJ Maxx
- Tractor Supply Company
- World Market
Contributing: The Associated Press
Steve Coogan is the lead editor of MyNorthwest. You can read more of his stories here. Follow Steve on X, or email him here.