Walmart to close stores on Thanksgiving, says holiday shopping 'will be different this year'

Walmart employees are getting a much-deserved day off this Thanksgiving.

The retail chain on Tuesday announced it will close all of its U.S. stores on Thanksgiving Day this year. Sam's Club locations will also be closed again on Thanksgiving, the company said.

"We know this has been a trying year, and our associates have stepped up," John Furner, the president and CEO of Walmart U.S., said. "We hope they will enjoy a special Thanksgiving Day at home with their loved ones. We are certainly thankful to our people for all of their efforts."

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Walmart has been open on every Thanksgiving for more than 30 years, The Wall Street Journal reports. But Furner in an email told employees that during the COVID-19 pandemic, "we know holiday shopping will be different this year, and we will be managing sales events differently," per the Journal. Employees who can enjoy the 2020 Thanksgiving holiday at home evidently have a manager at one of Walmart's Texas locations, who Furner reportedly said suggested the idea, to thank.

The company on Tuesday additionally announced new bonuses of $300 for full-time hourly workers, as well as $150 for part-time hourly and temporary workers. It didn't, however, release further information about any possible adjustments to Black Friday this year, saying "information for store and club hours on Friday, Nov. 27, will be shared at a later date."