Got milk? Khakis? Stores will have you covered

This Thanksgiving, don't worry if you forget extra sugar, milk or need a fresh pair of khakis, Las Vegas. Local retailers have you covered.

For the third year in a row, Old Navy will open its stores on Turkey Day, just in case shoppers find they're missing a glove or need to satisfy a shopping urge on the way to grandma's house. And, most large grocery stores in Las Vegas are open on Thanksgiving, with the exception of Trader Joe's and Target.

"At Old Navy, our employees who work on Thanksgiving volunteer to do so," said Tamara Rosenkranz, spokeswoman for Gap Inc. "Many of our employees have told us they really appreciate the opportunity to get paid time and a half and a lot of them love working on holidays. We work closely with our store associates to ensure the right balance of what's best for our employees and our business."

The clothing retailer cited customer response as a reason to open on Thanksgiving. Across America, 80 percent of Old Navy stores will be open on Nov. 24. All of the Southern Nevada locations will be open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.

"It's a good day for them," said Janet LaFevre, group marketing manager for General Growth Properties in Las Vegas.

Other retailers that will open on Nov. 24 include those in the Shoppes at Palazzo, The Grand Canal Shoppes at The Venetian, the Forum Shops at Caesars and the Miracle Mile Shops.

"It's a good time to shop because it's not as busy, because people are spending time with their families. For savvy shoppers, it's a great opportunity to come out," LaFevre said.

In the craft store segment, Michaels will be open 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Nov. 24.

Though perhaps novel to some, Thanksgiving Day shopping hours in Las Vegas aren't new.

Kmart, which will be open 6 a.m. to 9 p.m., has been hanging out its shingle on Thanksgiving Day for two decades. In Las Vegas, most grocery store chains are open at least part of the day.

Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market, for instance, is scheduled to be open 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Whole Foods is slated to be open from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.

On Tuesday afternoon, the Food 4 Less at 3864 W. Sahara Ave. had a steady stream of shoppers walking inside. One of them, Ana Dimas, said she doesn't plan on taking advantage of the Thanksgiving openings.

"I never go on Thanksgiving, it's just too busy," she said.

But shopper Maria Diaz, who was browsing with her two daughters on Tuesday, felt different.

"I think it's good they're open. Like me for instance, most of the time I forget something," Diaz said.

Last year, she forgot to buy corn and only realized when she began cooking on Thanksgiving morning.

"If they closed, I'd be crazy looking for things at the last minute," Diaz said.

To get a jump on Black Friday, Toys R Us stores are set to open at 9 p.m. while Walmart stores will open at 10 p.m. on Nov. 24.

When making her Black Friday shopping plans, Las Vegas native Allicia Tomolo said she generally includes Target and Wal-Mart, but won't this year because of the former opening on Thanksgiving and the latter opening at midnight Nov. 25.

"Thanksgiving is a long day as it is," she said. "I don't want to go straight from dinner to shopping."

Contact reporter Laura Carroll at lcarroll@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-4588.