Walmart announces initial Black Friday plans - AL.com

Walmart has announced some of its plans for Black Friday and – like many things in 2020 – coronavirus is shaping what is traditionally the busiest shopping day of the year.

Walmart said it will spread out its Black Friday deals – traditionally concentrated on the day after Thanksgiving – throughout the holiday season. More deals will also be available online this year and – in keeping with customer requests – is increasing inventory in electronics, including TVs, laptops and video games.

“Over the past six months, our customers have been shopping differently, and we expect that will continue into the most important shopping season of the year – the holidays,” Scott McCall, executive vice president and chief merchandising officer for Walmart U.S., said. “We’ve heard from our customers that many plan on starting their holiday shopping well before Black Friday and that they’re looking for gifts that fit their current lifestyle. So, we’ve adjusted our strategy to adapt to these new shopping preferences – we’re offering more of what they want now, earlier than ever, and all at the best prices.”

Walmart said more information on the Black Friday sales will be forthcoming. One question will be hours, as stores remain on shortened schedules to allow for extra sanitation. Walmart has not announced the schedule for when stores will be opened for holiday shopping but said hours will be “reduced.”

“Walmart stores, Supercenters and Neighborhood Markets will continue to be closed to customers overnight to give associates extra time to clean and sanitize stores and stock shelves,” the company said.

The chain previously announced it will be closed Thanksgiving Day, a reversal from previous years.

The changes come after Walmart said its research showed 87% of customers who shopped at its stores in the last six months said they planned to seek out deals and sale prices earlier this year to better prepare for the holiday season. One in three customers said they are planning to start their holiday shopping before early November.

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