TOWSON, Md — A lone car pulled up the Target Thanksgiving evening. It was one of the only vehicles in Towns Place. A man and child walked up to the retail building doors only to find them locked for the night.
In years past the parking lot would be full of shoppers fresh off their turkey dinners, all of them waiting to take advantage of Brown Thursday deals.
But this year there were none. The deals will have to wait for Friday.
One family walking through the lot on a post meal stroll described the atmosphere as "quiet and peaceful."
"It was nice," said Wanda Bryan. "We would normally be out here but that hasn't happened. First there was the pandemic and now the stores are closed. This really allows for family time."
Roughly 30 retail giants made the decision to close Thanksgiving day. Some of them include Target, Walmart, Best Buy, Bed Bath & Beyond and more. Even workers had the day off.
"There was one line," said Randi Bryan.
The 12-year-old managed to make it into Game Stop earlier this evening. The video game store like other small retail outlets did open for business Thursday, but with limited hours.
"The line was long but it wasn't too bad," said Randi.
In years past shopping following the Thanksgiving meal has become a tradition.
"We've come out, mostly for the entertainment part," said Wanda Bryan. "It was amazing to see how many people were really shopping and what they were buying. I of course had to buy something too. There were deals!"
Those deals are expected to startup for Black Friday and continue through the holiday season.
For others, this Thanksgiving reignited an older tradition, family time.
"We've watched movies," said Randall Bryan. "We decided to go for a walk as a family and then we'll go back home and stream some more videos. You know, relax for the rest of the night."