Mall operator to close 72 locations nationwide for Thanksgiving

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn., Oct. 12 (UPI) -- Just days after Minneapolis' Mall of America announced it will be closed for Thanksgiving, a major American mall operator followed suit -- pledging to keep its doors closed through the November holiday.

CBL & Associates announced Wednesday that nearly all of its mall properties nationwide will close their doors on Thanksgiving in an effort to "bring holiday tradition back."

The company said the decision is based on a desire to allow employees to spend the holiday with family and friends -- even at the expense of its bottom line.

"After evaluating feedback from our mall employees and retail partners as well as input from our shoppers, we determined that this was the best decision for our properties," CBL President and CEO Stephen Lebovitz said in a statement.

The stores will reopen at 6 a.m. on "Black Friday," the day after Thanksgiving.

"We want to bring back the excitement of Black Friday shopping as the true start of the holiday shopping season and allow our employees, retailers, and shoppers to spend the Thanksgiving holiday with their families," Lebovitz added.

Tennessee-based CBL manages properties at 89 retail centers in the United States. Seventy-two locations will close for Thanksgiving -- including stores in Colorado Springs, Madison, Wisc., Cincinnati, Ohio, Louisville, Ky., Charleston, S.C., Little Rock, Ark., St. Louis, Mo., and Raleigh, N.C.

Restaurants, movie theaters, department stores and retailers with exterior entrances, though, can remain open for the holiday if they choose, CBL stated.

CBL's properties join a list of other retailers that have decided to close on Nov. 24. Last week, Minneapolis' famous Mall of America -- the largest shopping mall in the United States -- announced that it, too, will take Thanksgiving Day off.