After a turkey-induced nap, many families are ready to kick the holidays into high gear and go shopping for holiday gifts and great deals. Below, find a list of local shopping malls and some major holiday players in the region, along with their expected hours and any other necessary information.
MAGICAL MALLS
Lakeshore Mall – Gainesville
Representatives from Lakeshore Mall could not be reached to verify the mall’s hours for Thanksgiving. On Black Friday, the mall will open at 6 a.m. and anchor stores will open at varying times.
Santa: A Santa will be available at Lakeshore Mall, but hours for Santa photos were not clear.
Anchors: Belk, DICK’s Sporting Goods, J.C. Penney, Sears
Mall of Georgia – Buford
One of America’s largest shopping malls opens at 5 p.m. Thanksgiving Day until 1 a.m. Friday; reopens Black Friday at 6 a.m. until 10 p.m.; extended hours continue through the holiday season.
Santa: Closed Thanksgiving Day, but will be open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Black Friday. Private sessions with “Caring Santa” are available by registration on December 1 followed by a quiet shopping experience at select stores. Pet photos with Santa are available on December 8.
Anchors: Belk, Dillard’s, Macy’s, J. C. Penney, Sears, Von Maur
North Georgia Premium Outlets – Dawsonville
The outlets, just off 400, will be open Thanksgiving Day from 6 p.m. and will remain open until 10 p.m. Black Friday night.
Santa: Open 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Black Friday and located at the Food Pavilion until December 24. Pet photos will be available on December 8.
Anchors: Saks Off 5th, Polo Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein, Nike, Burberry, Coach, Kate Spade New York, Tory Burch
Tanger Outlets – Commerce
Opening at 6 p.m. Thanksgiving evening and remaining open until 10 p.m. Black Friday night. Saturday shoppers can start at 9 a.m. that day.
Santa: No known Santa opportunities at this shopping center.
Anchors: Old Navy, H&M, Polo Ralph Lauren, Carter’s/OshKosh, Eddie Bauer, Michael Kors
The Collection at Forsyth – Cumming
The open-air mall will be open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., standard operating hours, however some stores may open earlier.
Santa: Complimentary Santa photos begin November 30 until December 21 on Saturdays and Sundays.
Anchors: Barnes & Noble, Chico’s, Academy Sports and Outdoors, Talbot’s
Gwinnett Place Mall – Duluth
This mall was recently brought to fame because of Netflix's Stranger Things. Holiday hours were not immediately available, but standard shopping hours for Gwinnett Place Mall are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 12 noon to 6 p.m. Sunday.
Santa: AccessWDUN was unable to confirm if a Santa was available for photographs at Gwinnett Place this year.
Anchors: Macy’s, Megamart, Beauty Master
Sugarloaf Mills – Lawrenceville/Suwanee
Savvy shoppers can access the mall as early as 6 pm. Thanksgiving evening and shop until midnight or later. Black Friday crowds can swarm as soon as 6 a.m. and shop until 10 p.m.
Santa: Closed Thanksgiving Day, open 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday. Private sessions with “Caring Santa” are available by registration on December 1.
Anchors: Neiman Marcus Last Call, Saks Off 5th, Nike Factory, Bass Pro Shops, LEGO
MAJOR RETAIL PLAYERS
Best Buy – Gainesville, Buford, Cumming
The tech and home appliances department store will open the doors at 5 p.m. Thanksgiving Day, closing at 1 a.m. They’ll re-open at 8 a.m. Friday, but be aware that tickets for specialty doorbuster sale items will be handed out up to an hour beforehand. The stores will close at 10 p.m. Black Friday evening.
Big Lots – Gainesville, Cumming, Cornelia, Sugar Hill
If you’re itching to shop early, Big Lots will be open at 7 a.m. Thanksgiving Day and close at midnight. They will re-open at 6 a.m. Black Friday and 8 a.m. the following Saturday.
Burlington – Gainesville, Buford, Dawsonville
All Burlington locations will be closed on Thanksgiving Day. Gainesville will open at 9:30 a.m. on Black Friday and close at 11 p.m. Dawsonville is open from 7 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. Black Friday. The Buford store did not have their Black Friday hours available at the time of publication.
Hobby Lobby – Gainesville, Dawsonville, Buford
The craft and decor giant will be closed Thanksgiving Day, but will extend their Gainesville, Dawsonville and Buford hours a little earlier and a little later on Black Friday and the following Saturday, opening at 8 a.m. and closing at 9 p.m.
Kohl’s – Gainesville, Cumming, Flowery Branch
The Midwestern-based department store will open at 5 p.m. Thursday in both Flowery Branch, Cumming and Gainesville, closing at midnight. On Black Friday, the store will be open for 24 hours.
Target – Gainesville, Flowery Branch, Buford
All three locations will open their doors at 5 p.m. Thanksgiving Day, closing them at 1 a.m. Friday; the stores will reopen at 7 a.m. Friday. Buford and Flowery Branch will close at 11 p.m. Friday, while Gainesville will close at 10 p.m.
TJ Maxx – Flowery Branch, Buford, Cumming, Winder
All TJ Maxx stores will be closed Thanksgiving Day. They will open at 7 a.m. on Black Friday and stay open until 10 p.m.Its subsidiaries, like Marshall's and HomeGoods, appear to have the same hours.
Walmart Supercenter – Gainesville, Oakwood
Black Friday deals start at 6 p.m. Thanksgiving Day, with coffee and snacks provided at participating Walmarts beginning at 4 p.m. Pickup services at the Oakwood and Gainesville Supercenters will close early on Thanksgiving at 6 p.m.
Happy shopping, and remember to practice safe shopping tips, like Lock, Take, Hide.
