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Shopping for Walmart Black Friday deals isn’t as stressful as it was back in the day. Nowadays, you can can get the best Walmart Black Friday deals online and in-store — and earlier! Walmart Black Friday may be over but we’re already looking forward to Black Friday 2023. The discounts in 2022 were some of the best ones we’ve seen, so 2023 is bound to impress.
The top three retailers — Walmart, Target, and Amazon — love to battle prices during Black Friday. Throughout the holidays, we compare prices across all three brands to make sure you’re getting the best from Walmart’s Black Friday ad. When the time comes, we’ll also remind you to double-check the latest Walmart deals right before you buy.
In 2022 there were three times during November to save with Walmart Black Friday deals. If 2023 looks the same, here are our best tips for how to hack the Black Friday deals you’re going to see at Walmart.
Looking for the latest Walmart deals? Check out our Walmart deals or text BLACKFRIDAY to 57299 to get real-time text alerts when Black Friday deals go live.
1. The Walmart Black Friday Deals for Days ad dropped on Nov. 1, 2022!
The 2022 Walmart Black Friday ad dropped on Nov. 1, 2022. We expect the Walmart Black Friday ad may show up on Nov. 1, 2023.
Will Walmart be closed on Thanksgiving 2023?
Yes, Walmart will likely be closed for Thanksgiving 2023. The year 2020 changed a lot of norms for companies, and many stuck with the new normal into 2021. In 2020, Walmart started closing their stores on Thanksgiving for the first time due to the pandemic. Prior to 2020, Walmart would open at 6 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day and stay open overnight.
Related: Stores Closed on Thanksgiving
Walmart Black Friday Hours
On Black Friday, Walmart will likely open its doors at 5 a.m, with most stores staying open until 11 p.m. Based on previous years, you can expect Black Friday online deals to drop on Walmart.com at midnight ET on Black Friday.
2. All the same Walmart Black Friday deals in-store will be available online (and they’ll start even earlier).
Walmart Black Friday deals are actually available online two days before they’re available in-store (and four days before in-store deals start during the third and final sale event). Walmart Black Friday Deals for Days come in three sale waves — but we’ll get into that in a minute…
The official and final Walmart Black Friday Deals for Days 2022 deals began online on Monday, Nov. 21, 2022, at 7 p.m. ET, and in stores on Black Friday, Nov. 25, 2022, at 5 a.m. local time.
3. Walmart has three major Black Friday sale waves.
In 2022, Walmart Black Friday Deals for Days was split into three separate events throughout the month of November. Black Friday deals started on Walmart.com every Monday in November, with the first event kicking off on Nov. 7. Walmart+ members have even earlier access to Black Friday 2022 deals than they did last year. They got to shop Black Friday Deals for Days online seven hours earlier than everyone else.
When did Walmart Black Friday start in 2022?
- Event 1: Nov. 7 – 13
- Online deals started: Monday, Nov. 7 at 7 p.m. ET
- In-store deals started: Wednesday, Nov. 9 at 6 a.m. local time
- Walmart+ members got early access to online deals starting Monday, Nov. 7 at noon ET
- Event 2: Nov. 14 – 20
- Online deals started: Monday, Nov. 14, at 7 p.m. ET
- In-store deals start: Wednesday, Nov. 16, at 6 a.m. local time
- Walmart+ members got early access to online deals starting Monday, Nov 14 at noon ET
- Event 3: Nov. 21 – 27
- Online Deals started: Monday, Nov. 21, at 7 p.m. ET
- In-store deals start: Friday, Nov. 25, at 6 a.m. local time
- Walmart+ members get early access to online deals starting Monday, Nov. 21 at noon ET
4. Were there any early Walmart Black Friday deals?
There sure were! Check back closer to Walmart Black Friday 2023 for the best early deals.
5. Walmart’s third Black Friday Deals for Days event started Monday, Nov. 21, 2022.
Walmart’s third event for Black Friday started Nov. 21 at 7 p.m. for all shoppers and the sales did not disappoint. Here are the sales we loved most:
- Shark AI VacMop, $188
- 6.5-Foot Flocked Pre-Lit Christmas Tree, $79
- HP DeskJet Printer, $49
- Plush Throws With Foot Pockets, $10
6. Each Walmart Black Friday sale event had unique items.
7. To get early access to all of these sales, sign up for Walmart Plus now.
If you sign up for Walmart Plus, you have early access to ALL of these sales, and I mean early! Members get access SEVEN hours before the sales even go live on the Walmart Early Access page. With the risk of inventory being short, this is an excellent way to get hot items (like toys and gaming) before they sell out. And they will.
Not sure about Walmart Plus? You can sign up for a free 90-day Walmart Plus trial. (You also get free next-day and two-day shipping with no minimums.)
8. Jump on Special Buy Doorbusters at Walmart.com because they sell out within an hour.
When Walmart gets a “deal” on a product or a deep discount from a manufacturer, they pass the savings on to their customers and label that product as a “Special Buy.” Special Buys are available online and in stores but usually sell out very quickly, so you want to shop online as soon as the deals go live.
In 2021, we saw TVs, small appliances, and small electronics, like the Apple Watch Series 3, sell out online almost immediately after they went live.
If they’re sold out online, head over to the store, but you’ll have to wait until Black Friday morning.
9. Only go in store for Walmart’s Special Buys that you can’t get online.
In prior years, some of the Walmart Special Buys were only available in stores. In 2021 and 2022, all the deals were available in store and online. But you never know when retailers may decide to change things up.
10. Bottom-line best deals to buy during Walmart Black Friday: TVs, some Apple electronics, and toys.
Walmart is the go-to place for cheap TVs, some Apple electronics, and toys — whether you’re shopping online or in store. Always shoot for 40% – 50% savings when shopping for TVs.
11. You might skip Nintendo, Xbox, or Playstation at Walmart — shop for those at Kohl’s instead.
Video game consoles like the Nintendo, Xbox, and PlayStation won’t likely dip below their base sale prices at Walmart, even during Black Friday.
But, if you shop at Kohl’s for Black Friday deals, you’ll receive $15 Kohl’s Cash for every $50 spent, making Kohl’s the best place to shop for video game consoles.
12. Shop early — you can’t get a rain check during Walmart Black Friday.
But ever since Black Friday 2020, the Walmart Black Friday ad clearly states that all items are available in limited quantities, while supplies last — no rain checks given.
This was the same case again in 2022.
13. Mix and match store pickup and ship-to-home items to reach the $35 minimum for free shipping.
When shopping online, some products are not eligible for shipping and are only available for store pickup (depending on local inventory). On the flip side, some items are only available for delivery.
If the product you want to be shipped to your home is $10, you could also buy an extra $25 worth of products that are only available for pickup. Since your order total is $35, the $10 item will ship to your home for free, while the other items will be ready for pickup at your local Walmart.
TIP: Sign up for Walmart Plus and get free shipping without needing to meet the $35 minimum threshold.
14. Take advantage of Walmart’s convenient delivery options.
Avoid the in-store frenzy on Walmart Black Friday and get what you want during the holidays when you take advantage of Walmart’s generous delivery options. Here are four ways they plan on making delivery more convenient for you:
- Extending store delivery times by two hours, which means you have until 6 p.m. to place an order for same-day delivery by 10 p.m. (local time) or next-day delivery.
- Adding extra delivery drivers via the Spark Driver app (iOS/Android) to help deliver stuff, even if the delivery windows are full when you place your order.
- Increasing the number of oversized items that you can have delivered, including 70-inch TVs, artificial Christmas trees, and bicycles.
- Increasing the number of stores that can deliver alcohol.
15. Use the color-coded zone maps in the Walmart app to navigate the store.
Items are rarely where they should be during Walmart Black Friday. And you don’t want to go running around like an ant to get those Special Buys.
Thankfully, Walmart mapped out the whole store in their mobile app so shoppers can find what they want more easily. Just tap the product you want, and the app drops a pin on the exact aisle where that product is located!
- Purple = Electronics
- Green = Toys
- Blue = Apparel
- Orange = General Merchandise
- Pink = Home
16. No price matching at Walmart.com for any kind of Black Friday sale.
17. Walmart extends its return policy during the holidays.
Normally, you can return most anything you buy in store or online within 90 days for a full refund at Walmart if you have your receipt. For electronics, you get 30 days.
During the holiday season, Walmart extends their return policy like this: Anything you buy in store (even electronics) or online (as long as it’s not from a third-party seller) from Nov. 1 to Dec. 25 can be returned within 90 days starting on Dec. 26. That means you get up to 120 days to return most everything.
Why does this matter, exactly? If you buy something during the Black Friday shopping season and see that it’s cheaper somewhere else or the price dropped at Walmart, you can either return the item and get a refund or return the item and repurchase it at the lower price.
Don’t abuse this hack, though. Walmart reserves the right to reject your return if they see too much activity.
18. Return your Walmart Black Friday online order for free by mail.
Not happy with your Walmart.com purchase? You can return most online purchases for free by mail. Log in to your account to start the return process. Print a free prepaid shipping label provided by Walmart, attach it to the package (make sure to include all the original packaging and accessories), and drop it at the post office.
Select online items are also eligible for free scheduled pickup from your home. If you prefer returning your purchase in store, take advantage of Mobile Express Returns to avoid the long return lines at Walmart during the holidays. Note that in-store purchases can only be returned in store.
19. Skip using Affirm to buy now, pay later for your holiday purchases.
In 2021, Walmart signed up with Affirm, a buy now, pay later (BNPL) service company that allows you to bring your stuff home when you order it BUT it’ll cost you anywhere from 10% – 30% in interest. So, there are no savings whatsoever going this route.
Check out these other buy now pay later services.
20. Split your Walmart purchase into four payments with a ghost card from Klarna.
As for the simplest solution I found, you can use a “ghost card” from Klarna to pay for your holiday stuff in four payments over six weeks. You pay 25% of the total amount due at checkout and then make a payment of 25% every two weeks after.
The good news: Klarna won’t hurt your credit, and it doesn’t charge interest — or any fees whatsoever.
The semi-bad news: You can only use Klarna at Walmart.com, not in the physical store.
To use Klarna, first, download the mobile app (iOS / Android) or Chrome browser extension and create an account, which includes adding a debit or credit card that will be used for your four payments. The app will automatically give you an estimated spending amount, up to a max of $1,000, based on a soft credit check (which doesn’t affect your credit). Each ghost card you create will take away from your available spending amount.
Got any great Walmart Black Friday 2023 shopping tips or secrets the rest of us should know? Share in the comments below.
