Some local malls will open on Thanksgiving Day

SIMPSONVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- It's the first holiday shopping season for the new outlet mall in Simpsonville, Kentucky, and stores will be open on Thanksgiving. The mall is joining in on the trend of opening before Black Friday.

At the Outlet Shoppes of the Bluegrass, the outdoor mall was not busy on a chilly Monday afternoon with snow dusted decorations and wet sidewalks.

But when you are a teenage girl and you get handed a snow day, what are you supposed to do? "We both love shopping and we had nothing else to do!" Klaire Compton, a sophomore at South Oldham High School said.

Compton and her mom were getting some holiday shopping done early and they said they are all about shopping the day after Thanksgiving.

"We usually go Black Friday shopping, but I don't think that they should be having the mall open at 6 (on Thanksgiving night). It's not right," said Compton.

The outlet mall will open at six Thanksgiving night and stay open all through the night, up until 10 p.m. on Black Friday.

"We kind of thought about what people are wanting and it's becoming more and more popular people are getting hyped up on thanksgiving and we're just doing what everyone wants," said Lucy George, marketing director for the mall.

George said all stores will be open and The mall will have a lot of sales and promotions Thanksgiving night, including a giveaway of $5,000 in gift certificates between 10 and one that night.

Collin Kinsey, the general manager of Taqueria Tsunami, expects a good turnout for tacos on Turkey Day. "I guarantee we will, Thanksgiving evening, black Friday, we'll have a great turnout. Come on in, get warm during the cold weather shopping."

Some, however, are turned off by Thanksgiving day shopping.

"It takes them away from their family," said Carla Boulware, "someone has to work the register and open the store."

There are Facebook pages boycotting "Black Thursday." Some protesters even change their profile picture, pledging to not shop on Thanksgiving. On change.org, nearly 80,000 signatures urge Target to halt holiday shopping.

"There's not very many days of the year we let everybody take off, I'm just a real advocate for family and Thanksgiving is a family holiday," said Boulware.

Other malls in the area have special holiday hours for Thanksgiving as well:

Oxmoor Mall open 6 p.m.- midnight on Thanksgiving Day. Open Black Friday beginning at 6 a.m.
Green Tree Mall opens 6 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day, stays open until 10 p.m. Black Friday. Stores may choose whether or not to be open on Thanksgiving, but all stores open at 6 a.m. Black Friday.
Paddock Shops no holiday hours listed.
Jefferson Mall will have select stores open at 6 p.m. Mall closes at 1 a.m. Black Friday, reopens at 6 a.m.-10 p.m.
Mall St. Matthews opens 6 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day, stays open until 10 p.m. on Black Friday. Retailers have an option to be open on Thanksgiving Day.
River Falls Mall no holiday hours listed.