Walmart will again close stores on Thanksgiving, cancelling a Black Friday tradition that drew huge crowds

• Walmart on Friday said it will close stores on Thanksgiving for the second year in a row.
• Typically, Walmart has kept stores open and started Black Friday sales early.
• Walmart also gave workers the day off on Thanksgiving in 2020.

Walmart on Friday said it will close all US store locations on Thanksgiving Day.

The store closures represent a stark departure from years past, when the retail giant capitalized on the Black Friday rush by launching sales on the evening of Thanksgiving. Walmart also closed stores on Thanksgiving in 2020 in what it said was an effort to reward associates for their hard work during the pandemic.

Walmart gave similar reasoning for this year's move.

"Closing our stores on Thanksgiving Day is one way we're saying 'thank you' to our teams for their dedication and hard work this year," Dacona Smith, executive vice president and COO for Walmart US, said in a statement.

Read more: Walmart is quietly laying plans to care for patients in 16 more states as it pushes into online care

Before 2020, Walmart kept stores open for regular hours on Thanksgiving, cordoning off areas dedicated to Black Friday sales until the early evening. Those early Black Friday sales attracted hordes of shoppers looking to get ahead of the holiday deals.

Walmart is one of a growing number of retailers that have started giving workers Thanksgiving off. Costco, Lowe's, and Marshalls all typically close their doors on Thanksgiving Day.