By Eric Stock

BLOOMINGTON – Eastland Mall has announced it will be closed on Thanksgiving Day and won’t open until 6 a.m. on Black Friday.

The mall had been opening on Thanksgiving night for several years to attract early holiday shoppers, but mall managers say the magic of Black Friday has been diminished by an earlier start to the holiday shopping season over the last few years.

“Gone are the days of waking before dawn to hunt for deals and doorbusters,” said Stephen Lebovitz, President & CEO CBL & Associates Properties, Inc. “Well, not this year. We want you to spend Thanksgiving with family and friends and come fresh and excited to spend Black Friday with us.”

Marketing director for the Bloomington mall, Melissa Cavangh said opening times were getting earlier each year.

“This year it was just decided that enough was enough,” Cavanagh said.

Cavanagh added the company doesn’t expect to lose business to other retailers who might continue to open on Thanksgiving.

“The response since we released this news has been overwhelmingly positive,” Cavanagh said. “The shoppers in the community really appreciate the effort being made to bring the family back to Thanksgiving and to bring fun and excitement back to Black Friday.”

The mall is using the social media hashtag #MakeThanksgivingYours.

Eric Stock can be reached at [email protected].