With Thanksgiving 2025 falling on Thursday, Nov. 27, shoppers are locking in their last big grocery runs and holiday errands. Many major chains are closed all day, while a handful of grocers are keeping short, morning-only or early‑afternoon hours for true last‑minute emergencies.
Below is a concise, news‑style guide to Kroger and its family of stores, H‑E‑B and related banners, and what’s happening in Louisville malls, plus a snapshot of national chains open or closed this year.
At a glance: Thanksgiving 2025 store hours
- Kroger & Kroger family stores – Open in most markets but on reduced hours, generally closing mid‑afternoon (often 3–5 p.m.). Pharmacies closed.
- H‑E‑B (Texas) – Open 6 a.m.–noon with limited curbside and delivery windows; pharmacies closed.
- Louisville‑area malls – All major malls are closed on Thanksgiving Day.
- Louisville big‑box & chain retailers – Most national chains (Walmart, Target, Costco, Best Buy and more) are closed; a short list of stores such as Kroger, Meijer, Dollar General, Family Dollar, Bass Pro Shops, Cabela’s and CVS will open with reduced hours.
- Most national discounters & warehouse clubs – Aldi, Costco, Publix, Sam’s Club, Target, Trader Joe’s and Walmart are closed nationwide.
- Other major grocers – Meijer, Food Lion, Whole Foods, Wegmans, Sprouts and many Albertsons‑family stores are open but closing early, typically between early afternoon and 5 p.m.
Always check your local store locator or call ahead. Hours can vary by city, and some states enforce stricter holiday trading rules.
When is Thanksgiving 2025 – and what’s different this year?
Thanksgiving in 2025 is observed on Thursday, November 27.
Several years after big‑box chains first began closing on Thanksgiving during the COVID era, that trend is now firmly established. Updated coverage from outlets including People and multiple local TV stations shows that Walmart, Target, Costco and many specialty retailers are once again keeping doors shut all day, shifting in‑person shopping to Black Friday and online sales earlier in November.
At the same time, key supermarket players are staying open for a limited window in the morning or early afternoon to handle forgotten ingredients, last‑minute pies and emergency bags of ice.
Is Kroger open on Thanksgiving 2025?
Core policy: open, but with shortened hours
Kroger’s own holiday hours page states that stores that open on Thanksgiving Day will close at 3 p.m. local time, and that pharmacies will not operate on the holiday.
Local and national reporting adds a bit more nuance:
- A Gray Television roundup of Thanksgiving hours notes that Kroger stores will be open but close early around 5 p.m., citing the company’s website.
- A Texas‑focused breakdown from FOX 4 Dallas lists Kroger locations in North Texas operating from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Thanksgiving.
- A national overview from People reports that “Kroger family” stores will be open on Thanksgiving but closing early, with hours varying by location, based on details the chain confirmed to USA Today. People.com
Taken together, the picture for Thursday, Nov. 27, 2025 is:
Most Kroger stores across the U.S. will be open in the morning and midday, but will shut by mid‑afternoon—commonly between 3 and 5 p.m., depending on the region.
Kroger family banners
When news outlets and Kroger itself talk about “Kroger family of stores,” they’re referring to a large group of regional chains. People’s Thanksgiving hours summary, which cites information provided to USA Today, lists banners including: People.com+1
- Kroger
- Ralphs, Fred Meyer, King Soopers, Smith’s, Fry’s, QFC
- Dillons, Baker’s, Gerbes, Jay C Food Store, City Market, Metro Market
- Mariano’s, Pick ’n Save, Pay‑Less, Ruler, Foods Co, Food 4 Less, and others
These brands are following the same general strategy: open for part of Thanksgiving Day, then closing early so staff can be home for dinner.
Practical tip: For Kroger and any of its banners, plug your ZIP code into the “Find a Store” tool or company app to see Thanksgiving hours for your exact location before you head out. kroger.com
H‑E‑B Thanksgiving hours 2025: Texas’ go‑to grocer
H‑E‑B is one of the few big grocers that has published very specific Thanksgiving 2025 hours, widely amplified across Texas media.
A dedicated FOX 4 article, which notes that its information comes directly from H‑E‑B’s posted hours, sets out the schedule for Thursday, Nov. 27 as follows:
- H‑E‑B stores:
- Open 6 a.m.–noon on Thanksgiving Day
- Curbside: available roughly 7 a.m.–11 a.m.
- Home delivery: available 7 a.m.–10 a.m.
- Pharmacies: closed all day
- Central Market (H‑E‑B‑owned):
- Open 8 a.m.–2 p.m.
- Joe V’s Smart Shop:
- Open 7 a.m.–2 p.m.
- Mi Tienda:
- Open 6 a.m.–noon
Separately, a statewide FOX 4 roundup of Texas store hours repeats these numbers and adds that many Albertsons‑family stores, Sprouts, Tom Thumb, Whole Foods and WinCo will also open for limited hours on Thanksgiving in Texas, generally closing between early afternoon and 5 p.m.
Bottom line for Texas shoppers:
H‑E‑B will be there for morning emergencies only. If you need sides or ingredients after lunch, you’ll likely have to rely on convenience stores or plan ahead.
Louisville: malls closed, only a handful of stores open
Malls dark on Thanksgiving
A new Nov. 21 report from the Louisville Courier Journal confirms that all major malls in the Louisville metro area will be closed on Thanksgiving Day 2025, including:
- Oxmoor Center
- Mall St. Matthews
- Jefferson Mall
- The Outlet Shoppes of the Bluegrass
- Green Tree Mall in Clarksville, Indiana
Holiday shoppers won’t be able to sneak out from the Thanksgiving table to walk the mall this year; in‑person deals will wait until Black Friday.
Big‑box retailers: mostly closed
The same Courier Journal piece, drawing on national data from TheBlackFriday.com, lists dozens of big‑box and specialty chains that will not open at all on Thanksgiving in the Louisville area. That closed‑all‑day group includes major names like:
- Walmart, Target, Costco, Sam’s Club
- Best Buy, Home Depot, Lowe’s, Menards
- Aldi, Publix, BJ’s Wholesale Club
- Kohl’s, Macy’s, JCPenney, Dillard’s, Burlington, T.J. Maxx, Marshalls, HomeGoods, Ulta
- Trader Joe’s, Barnes & Noble, Michaels, Office Depot/OfficeMax, and many more
Which Louisville stores are open on Thanksgiving?
Only a short list of retailers is staying open in the Louisville region, again with reduced hours and location‑by‑location differences. According to the Courier Journal and regional TV coverage, those chains include:
- Kroger – Open, but closing early (afternoon).
- Meijer – Open with shortened hours; many locations closing around 5 p.m. nationally.
- Dollar General & Family Dollar – Open with limited schedules; one Gray‑syndicated list shows many Family Dollar locations running 8 a.m.–6 p.m.
- Bass Pro Shops & Cabela’s – Open, typically mid‑morning through early evening.
- CVS – Many locations open (especially 24‑hour stores), but hours can vary widely.
If you’re in the Louisville area and absolutely must shop on Thanksgiving, you’ll almost certainly be heading to a grocery store or dollar store, not a mall.
Other national chains: open vs. closed on Thanksgiving 2025
Using combined data from People, Gray Television, Cheapism and regional stations, here’s how the rest of the national field shapes up this year.
Closed all day on Thanksgiving 2025
These big chains have confirmed they will not open on Thursday, Nov. 27:
- Discount & warehouse:
- Walmart
- Target
- Costco
- Sam’s Club
- BJ’s Wholesale Club
- Grocery:
- Aldi
- Lidl
- Publix
- Trader Joe’s
- Home & general retail:
- Home Depot
- Lowe’s
- IKEA
- Department & specialty stores:
- Macy’s, Kohl’s, Dillard’s, Belk, Nordstrom
- T.J. Maxx, Marshalls, HomeGoods
- Sephora, Ulta, REI, and others
This continues a broad shift toward keeping Thanksgiving as a non‑shopping day for most big‑box chains, with deals moving online or to Black Friday.
Open with limited hours
Most of the chains below are open morning through early afternoon only; specific windows vary by region and store:
- Meijer – Many stores around 6 a.m.–5 p.m. on Thanksgiving, per statements to USA Today and summary coverage.
- Food Lion – Commonly 7 a.m.–4 p.m., but the company warns hours can differ locally.
- Whole Foods Market – Most locations open a shortened day, often around 7 a.m.–1 p.m., with extended evening hours on Nov. 25–26 to help with prep.
- Wegmans – Open on Thanksgiving, typically until mid‑afternoon, such as 4 p.m., though exact hours are set by individual stores.
- Albertsons‑family banners (Safeway, Tom Thumb, Vons, etc.) – Many of these stores operate roughly 6 a.m.–4 p.m., especially in Texas and the West, with some banners closed.
- Sprouts Farmers Market – Corporate communications and TV listings point to 7 a.m.–2 p.m. hours in many markets, though some aggregated lists show later closing times.
- Regional chains like Hannaford, Stop & Shop, Hy‑Vee and Winn‑Dixie – Generally open with shortened schedules, often shutting by mid‑afternoon.
New England note: Some Northeastern states, including parts of New England, restrict or prohibit larger grocery stores from opening on Thanksgiving under “blue laws,” so even national chains that are open elsewhere may be closed entirely in those states. CT Insider+2Taste of Home+2
How to plan your last‑minute Thanksgiving 2025 shopping
To keep the holiday as stress‑free as possible:
- Shop early in the week. Chains like Kroger, Whole Foods and others are extending evening hours on Nov. 25–26 to accommodate crowds.
- Use curbside and delivery smartly. H‑E‑B, Kroger and others keep pickup and delivery running on Thanksgiving—but only in tight morning windows. Reservations often book up by midweek.
- Know your pharmacy options. Many grocery‑store pharmacies (H‑E‑B, Kroger and more) will be closed all day, so refill time‑sensitive prescriptions before Wednesday night.
- Expect regional exceptions. In some cities (including in New England and parts of the Midwest), local law or company policy may mean stricter closures than the national norm.
- Always confirm locally. Corporate statements and news lists provide a strong baseline, but store‑by‑store hours can still change, especially in bad weather or in heavily regulated states.
If you’re reading this on Nov. 21, 2025, you still have nearly a week to get ahead of the rush. The simplest strategy: treat Thanksgiving morning as a backup option only, and plan your big shop for the days leading up to Nov. 27.
