Walmart To Begin Black Friday At 10pm On Thanksgiving Day

This year, Black Friday will start on Thursday.

Walmart will offer deals on toys, home and apparel starting at 10:00pm Thanksgiving day, a full two hours before the midnight openings of other retailers such as Macy's and Target, CNNMoney reports. Though consumer spending rose 0.6 percent in October, retailers are likely offering consumers the chance to start their discounted shopping early in hopes the upward trend will continue.

"Our customers told us they would rather stay up late to shop than get up early, so we're going to hold special events on Thanksgiving and Black Friday," Duncan Mac Naughton, Walmart's chief merchandising officer, said in a statement.

With experts expecting holiday spending to be down this year, retailers are at the mercy of their customers and may be willing to do just about anything to get them into stores. A recent survey by consumer information site BIGinsight found that 38.5 percent of adults plan to spend less than they did last year on holiday shopping. In addition, more than one-quarter of Americans said rising food prices would push them to cut back "somewhat" on holiday shopping. As a result, many shoppers have started shopping early and online as a comparison.

And one area where retailer competition is getting particularly stiff: Big screen TVs. Amazon, Best Buy and Amazon.com, Best Buy and Walmart are all offering special deals.

"It is going to be a dogfight," Bernstein analyst Colin McGranahan told Reuters of the retail competition over TV deals. "Everyone's going to be fighting because demand is not great."

Competition is also likely to get heated among retailers looking to lure customers to their websites. Nearly half of holiday shoppers say they expect to do it online, according to CNNMoney. Amazon and Walmart, are already fighting what one financial expert calls "the battle of the titans."

Walmart recently decided to open two smaller web-driven Walmart.com outlets at malls in Southern California, which some interpret as a bid to bite into Amazon's online market share. For its part, Amazon has started its Black Friday countdown, providing customers daily with information on upcoming deals, The Daily Mail reports.

Walmart, for all its Black Friday promotions -- including posting maps on its website and on Facebook showing in-store locations of sale items -- may be outdone only by Disney in terms of preparation. The retail arm of the entertainment company has been planning for Black Friday -- which it prefers to call Magical Friday -- since March, and expects 1.5 million shoppers at its 210 nationwide locations on the day, Las Vegas Review-Journal reports.

Comments

[Claire Spencer]

01:13 PM on 11/16/2011

Can we all draw the line on commercialism and spend one day being content, grateful, and enjoying family? The response of the public will either encourage or discourage this trend.

Check out the facebook event "Day of Thanks Not Shopping" if you want to tell retailers to leave at least one day alone.

[daddysaiddaisy]

03:49 PM on 11/14/2011

What about their associates , the people they took insurance away from,put a cap on their wages now they can not even look forward to Thanksgiving day with their families ...I know the super centers stay open anyway but on Thanksgiving and Christmas they should close their doors...if nothing else they should only be open half a day on Thanksgiving like most of the grocery stores...but the mega hungary retail giant just can't get enough money....woo woo...go walmart beat down the employees....

[mycroft1967]

10:11 PM on 11/13/2011

The fact that WalMart has little regard for their employees, holidays and especially shoppers only shows their corporate greed. Get the money now. I hope all shoppers disregard their sale on thanksgiving, and enjoy time with their family. Go shopping the day after and MAYBE they'll stop opening at such ridiculous hours and ruining holidays.

[TedEjr]

06:24 PM on 11/12/2011

As someone who is older, I recognize the fallacy of the "They didn't do this in my day" mindset.

Now, that the disclaimer is posted.

This year, WalMart began putting out Christmas items Before HALLOWEEN.

My gosh, nearly two months ahead of the event.

They are already pushing their stores for lane openings, and holiday sales quotas.

I am a vendor, of sorts, with WalMart, and I have insight into their goals during this period.

I don't deny, nor do I judge, the corporate interests in profits and the maximization thereof. At the same time, this race to the bottom at any cost really has gotten out of control.

OWS does have it right. Hopefully, the mind set will begin to permeate the nation as a whole.

[PhilBurgundy12]

01:12 PM on 11/12/2011

Very smart by Wal-Mart. If you have the opportunity to make more sales on that day, why not take it as opposed to trying to help out other stores? http://mycybermondaydeals.net/

[russlbaca]

09:28 AM on 11/12/2011

Shame on Walmart. I already don't shop at Walmart because of their business practices (the worst is how they drive out small businesses, forcing populations to work and shop at Walmarts, and then moving out if profits aren't as expected) and employee relations (multiple

[showerprincess]

07:59 AM on 11/12/2011

For a company that talks about family values, I find this appalling that they open earlier and earlier every year. However it isn't their fault. We flock to their doors earlier and earlier every year (If you open early, they will come). Heck Kmart has been open on the holiday for years. Stay at home with your family and they'll get the message.

[Curlee]

10:53 PM on 11/11/2011

I used to work at a grocery store, so I know firsthand how much it sucks to have to work on a holiday. It really is shameful that stores choose to deprive their employees the opportunity to enjoy the holiday at home with family. Interesting enough, the store manager takes the day off. Some say this is just an example of good old fashioned capitalism. In this case, I just call it corporate selfishness.

[kellysans]

09:49 PM on 11/11/2011

Well, if you're a gamer, its deals for BF3 and Batman: Arkham City at $28 might perk some interest along with its Xbox 360 deals. Source: http://bit.ly/vTtdzL

[Mac Road]

01:08 PM on 11/11/2011

So is this Charcoal Gray Thursday?

[raanghaus]

11:05 AM on 11/11/2011

heres a tip for black friday at walmart.....bring a camera cause the outfits will be an attraction far greater than the prices!

[tincup2005]

10:59 AM on 11/11/2011

Let's see, I have a choice. Be at Wal-Mart 10pm on Thanksgiving Day dodging gunfire aimed at people trying to crash the front of the line or I can watch a re-play of the GOP debate. Anyone have a bullet-proof vest I can borror?

[pete2polly]

10:46 AM on 11/11/2011

Looking forward to the news coverage of the fist fights.

[Bob McEntyre]

09:55 AM on 11/11/2011

Walmart gave the GOP in Ohio tons of money to help win SB5 in Ohio,against the very middle class people who shop at Walmart.My wife and I would love to boycott Walmart on a weekly basic,but can't because Walmart came into little town in Colorado and put the mom and pop shops out of business.But where we can make a difference is at Xmas time.Spent your Xmas budget of 1000,00 to some other big retailer(s).If all of America would do this,just maybe Walmart will quit trying to defeat measures that hurt the middle class in this Country.But Walmart won't ever stop this kind of practice

[tomjefferson2005]

10:16 AM on 11/11/2011

Bob McEntyre: Walmart gave the GOP in Ohio tons of money to help win SB5 in Ohio,again­st the very middle class people who shop at Walmart.My wife and I would love to boycott Walmart on a weekly basic,but can't because Walmart came into little town in Colorado and put the mom and pop shops out of business. ............................................Response: Dollar General is a great alternative on many canned food items. Also: Dollar Tree is an alternative, especially for cleaning supplies. KMart is very competitive with WalMart on many other items.

[movingman64]

09:36 AM on 11/11/2011

why even close for thanksgiving, it makes no difference....