A couple walk with Hermes shopping bags as they leave an Hermes store in Paris March 21, 2013. Hermes on Thursday said operating margin last year reached its highest level since the French luxury group listed in 1993 on robust demand for its hand-crafted leather goods and printed silk scarves. REUTERS/Philippe Wojazer (FRANCE - Tags: BUSINESS LOGO) - RTR3F9W0
Macy’s, JCPenney and Kmart have recently come under fire for opening doors on Thanksgiving, but research suggests they might benefit from the additional hours.
Research firm Placed released predictions for this year’s seasonal retail wars and found that despite the backlash, nearly a quarter of smartphone users surveyed plan to shop on Thanksgiving. The firm surveyed 14,645 users about their holiday plans.
While 45 percent said they still intend to shop on Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving that typically kicks off the holiday shopping season, 22 percent indicated they’ll shop on the holiday itself. Those shopping on Thanksgiving said they are most likely to head to Macy’s, JCPenney, Sears, Best Buy and Target.
However, 46 percent of those getting a head start on Thanksgiving will shop online due to the limited number of open stores.
Place also identified Aeropostale, Ross, Forever 21, Apple and American Eagle Outfitters as major chains missing out on an opportunity to boost holiday profits by opening on Thanksgiving.
While online shopping continues to be a growing trend, the research found that book, toy, beauty and sporting stores are at the highest risk of “showrooming,” when consumers browse brick-and-mortar stores and then purchase items online.