Walmart Launching Sales for Black Friday Earlier

Walmart has become the most recent major retailer to announce earlier launch times for its Black Friday and weekend sales. The giant retailer said their Black Friday would start at dinnertime Thanksgiving on Thursday evening.

Coming on the heels of many similar announcements by retailers including Best Buy, Macy’s and Target, Walmart has announced that it would have two major sales at 6 p.m. and at 8 p.m., Thanksgiving evening, which is two hours prior to their start last year.

With this holiday shopping season six days shorter and low consumer confidence rates following the shutdown in the government, Walmart is increasing its efforts in drawing in more buyers, by offering what industry experts have said are very impressive deals while guaranteeing products to those customers in line during the huge sales on Thursday evening.

Some exclusive events will still take place on Friday, including a sales event at 8 a.m. and discounts including manager’s specials on items in high-demand.

However, this year, most of the best deals will occur or start on Thursday, including bargains for online shoppers beginning as early as the morning of Thanksgiving.

One online industry expert said that stores’ moving forward sales events to Thursday was a huge move. Over the past two years, said the expert, stores have started to open Thursday night, but major sales still did not start until Friday after midnight and now they are starting in the evening on Thanksgiving Day.

As sales are staggered by stores, the mobs of inpatient shoppers outside the stores prior to dawn on Black Friday, might become fewer, said analysts.

Toys R Us is opening this year at 5 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day, while Best Buy is opening at 6 p.m. and then Target at 8 p.m. Kohl’s, Macy’s and J.C. Penney all will offer hours on Thursday for just the first time in their histories. Kmart announced it would open Thanksgiving morning at 6 a.m. and remain open for 41 consecutive hours.

This season Walmart will offer 21 products that are guaranteed, which is 18 more than last season, if customers stand for the different sales events for the products.