A major electronics retailer is refusing to kick off Black Friday on Thanksgiving

Electronics retailer hhgregg says it will remain closed on Thanksgiving this year, bucking the growing trend of retailers starting Black Friday sales on Thursday.

The company said it's "drawing a line in the sand" by becoming one of the first major electronics retailers to close on the holiday.

Hhgregg's "doorbuster" Black Friday sales started at 4 p.m. on Thanksgiving last year and lasted until midnight. Rival RadioShack opened its stores at 8 a.m. on the holiday last year.

"We stand behind our core values and beliefs of being a family-first company," hhgregg President and CEO Bob Riesbeck said in a statement. "It's important to us that our associates are able to be home with their families on Thanksgiving, and we are encouraging our customers to do the same - knowing great deals will be available online, on Black Friday and through the weekend."

Mall of America, the biggest shopping mall in the US, has also announced it will close on Thanksgiving Day this year.

The number of stores opening on the holiday has shot up in recent years as retailers desperately clamor for a bigger share of shoppers' Black Friday spending sprees.

The trend has played a part in a ongoing decline in spending on Black Friday. Sales on Black Friday fell 12%, to $10.2 billion, last year compared with the previous year, according to ShopperTrak.