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The company will offer Black Friday deals at 10 p.m. EST online
on Thanksgiving eve - two hours earlier than in previous years -
in order to give shoppers on the East Coast more shopping time
earlier, executives said, and at 6 p.m. local time in its stores
on Thanksgiving Day.
The Bentonville, Arkansas-based retailer will also have deals
available on Walmart.com beginning at 12:01 a.m. ET on Thursday,
Nov. 8, the company said.
Similar to in years past, key departments, like toys,
electronics, home and apparel, will be color-coded in store so
shoppers can easily find deals. The codes will be available on
the retailer’s Black Friday circular and store maps.
"Check Out With Me" associates – identifiable with a bright
yellow sash – will also be placed in key areas of the store in
an effort to make the shopping experience smoother.
For years, Black Friday has marked the start of the holiday
shopping season in the United States with retailers offering
steep discounts. But its popularity has been on the wane with
the rise of online shopping and inexpensive deals throughout the
year.
On Monday, Amazon said it would offer free shipping with no
purchase minimum for the first time this holiday season, heating
up the competition with Walmart Inc and Target, which in recent
years have chipped away at Amazon's lead with their own offers
of free two-day shipping. While Walmart has maintained its $35
order threshold this holiday, Target has scrapped its minimum
until Dec. 22.
(Reporting by Melissa Fares in New York; Editing by Dan Grebler)
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