Target will no longer open its stores on Thanksgiving Day, making a permanent shift to the unofficial start of the holiday season that was suspended during the pandemic.

“What started as a temporary measure driven by the pandemic is now our new standard—one that recognizes our ability to deliver on our guests’ holiday wishes both within and well beyond store hours,” Target CEO Brian Cornell wrote in a note to employees. “You don’t have to wonder whether this is the last Thanksgiving you’ll spend with family and friends for a while because Thanksgiving store hours are one thing we won’t ‘get back to’ when the pandemic finally subsides.”

Target is the first major retailer to make such a permanent move during the pandemic.

Photo courtesy Target