NEW YORK, July 4, 2026, 10:07 EDT
- Walmart NASDAQ:WMT, Target NYSE:TGT, Kroger NYSE:KR, The Home Depot NYSE:HD and Lowe’s NYSE:LOW will open on July 4. Costco NASDAQ:COST, though, is keeping its U.S. warehouses closed.
- The National Retail Federation says 87% of Americans plan to celebrate, and average food spending is set to hit a record $94.41. AAA puts the number of holiday travelers at 72.2 million.
- Markets were closed on Friday, July 3 for Independence Day, with both NYSE and Nasdaq shut. The first look at trading after the holiday is set for Monday, July 6.
U.S. retailers open on July 4 caught a bump in holiday demand, but it didn’t last long. Costco stuck to its usual policy and closed on Independence Day. Chick-fil-A stayed dark for Sunday, as always.
For investors, store traffic matters. NRF’s new survey found 87% of U.S. shoppers expected to celebrate the holiday, spending a record average of $94.41 on food. AAA said 72.2 million people were set to travel at least 50 miles, including 61.4 million by car. “Record volumes this year,” AAA Travel Vice President Stacey Barber said. National Retail Federation
| Holiday demand read | 2026 figure | Investor read |
|---|---|---|
| 87% of consumers say they’ll celebrate July 4 | 87% | Grocery, discounters and restaurant names pick up basket traffic close to the holiday |
| Average consumer spends $94.41 on food | $94.41 | Food inflation plus product mix shape margins as much as overall traffic |
| 72.2 million Americans to travel for the holiday | 72.2 mln | Heavier road travel brings in fuel stops, QSRs and trips to big-box stores to restock |
| 61.4 million expected to travel by car | 61.4 mln | Road trips create more demand for roadside retail, drive-thrus |
Walmart said its U.S. stores ran on normal hours. Target posted July 4 store hours from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. Kroger stores were open, but pharmacy and clinic hours could differ. Home Depot stores were open, with an 8 p.m. closing. Lowe’s landed on lists of stores open with regular hours. Costco closed all U.S. warehouses for Independence Day.
| Company | July 4 status | Latest annual sales base |
|---|---|---|
| Walmart NASDAQ:WMT | Open, sticking to normal hours for U.S. stores | FY2026 revenue at $713.0 bln |
| Target NYSE:TGT | Open, running 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. | FY2025 net sales $104.8 bln |
| Kroger NYSE:KR | Stores open; pharmacy and clinic hours could differ | FY2025 sales $147.6 bln |
| The Home Depot NYSE:HD | Open, closing at 8 p.m. local | FY2025 sales $164.7 bln |
| Lowe’s NYSE:LOW | Open | FY2025 net sales $86.3 bln |
| Costco NASDAQ:COST | U.S. warehouses are closed | FY2025 net sales $269.9 bln |
Company data puts the open group’s annual sales at around $1.22 trillion, more than four times what Costco reported for fiscal 2025 net sales. That doesn’t predict July 4 revenues. It just points to where public retailers kept stores open, aiming to manage labor costs and holiday hours instead of closing completely.
Restaurant splits weren’t wide but were enough for traffic. Chick-fil-A, which is private, said its U.S. stores opened July 4 but hours differed by location. It said founder S. Truett Cathy began Sunday closure back in 1946 for rest, family, and worship. So Chick-fil-A opens Saturday but is closed July 5.
McDonald’s NYSE:MCD kept most locations open. Chipotle Mexican Grill NYSE:CMG said most of its U.S. stores would shut at 3 p.m. Starbucks NASDAQ:SBUX store hours shifted by location. Olive Garden, run by Darden Restaurants NYSE:DRI, stayed on its normal schedule. Chick-fil-A’s usual Sunday closure gives public fast-food chains a second run at post-holiday customers.
Mail and parcel services saw a shift in channels over the July 4 holiday. The U.S. Postal Service confirmed all post offices stayed shut on July 4. USPS said regular mail and retail would start up again Monday, July 6. United Parcel Service NYSE:UPS and FedEx NYSE:FDX mostly stopped July 4 pickups and deliveries, their holiday schedules showed. Shoppers needing urgent deliveries turned to stores, apps, or picked up locally.
Fuel prices are moving differently than expected. GasBuddy had forecast about $3.75 a gallon for July 4, which would be the second highest on record. Patrick De Haan, who leads petroleum analysis there, called the fuel market “anything but predictable.” Reuters put the national average at $3.772 as of Friday, up 62.7 cents from a year ago. Reuters
Home-improvement chains went into the holiday period facing softer housing demand compared to food and travel retailers. Home Depot CEO Ted Decker pointed to “consumer uncertainty and pressure in housing” on the company’s fiscal 2025 call. Lowe’s CEO Marvin Ellison said the “housing macro remains pressured.” Home Depot Investor Relations
NYSE and Nasdaq show July 3 as the Independence Day holiday for markets. Nasdaq’s normal hours for U.S. equities run 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. ET. Monday marks the first cash-equity session after the switch to retail hours.
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