Walmart basically rewrote the playbook this year. If you were waiting for a single, massive 100-page paper circular to drop on your driveway, you probably noticed things felt a little different. The walmart 2024 black friday ad wasn't just one moment; it was a three-part trilogy of deals that started way earlier than most of us were ready for.
Honestly, the "leak" culture has changed too. We used to wait for grainy photos of a printed flyer. This time, the official 37-page digital ad for the "Main Event" hit the internet around November 21, but the first wave of discounts was already live by November 11. It's a lot to keep track of.
The Multi-Phase Madness: Dates You Actually Needed
Walmart didn't just open the doors on Friday morning and call it a day. They split the walmart 2024 black friday ad into specific events.
The first event kicked off online on November 11. If you had a Walmart+ membership, you got a five-hour head start, which was pretty much the only way to snag the $5 Squishmallows or those $199 iPhone 13s before they vanished. The second event—what most people consider the actual Black Friday—started online on Monday, November 25.
- Online Start (Event 2): November 25, 12 p.m. ET for members / 5 p.m. ET for everyone.
- In-Store Start: November 29 (Black Friday) at 6 a.m. local time.
- Thanksgiving Status: Stores were closed. Totally shut. You had to shop from your couch.
What Most People Got Wrong About the Deals
There’s this idea that everything in the walmart 2024 black friday ad is a doorbuster that sells out in seconds. That's not really true anymore. While the $228 TCL 65-inch 4K TV was a "Special Buy" that disappeared fast, many of the best values were actually on high-end tech that stayed in stock for a few days.
Take the Apple AirPods Pro 2, for example. They dropped to $154. That’s a record low. But because Walmart had so much stock, you didn't necessarily have to be there at 12:01 p.m. to get a pair. Same goes for the Dyson V11 Extra at $349.99. It’s a huge $250 discount, but it was available throughout most of the week.
The Real Stars of the 2024 Ad
- TVs: The 75-inch Vizio for $478 was the sleeper hit. Everyone focused on the $228 65-inch, but the Vizio offered much better screen real estate for the price.
- Kitchen: The KitchenAid Deluxe 4.5-Quart Stand Mixer hit $259. Usually, you’re looking at $350+ for that model.
- Gaming: Nintendo Switch bundles with Mario Kart 8 Deluxe stayed at the $249-$299 range, but the real win was the $30 price tag on The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.
The Walmart+ Strategy: Is It a Scam?
You’ve probably seen the push for Walmart+. During the Black Friday season, they usually drop the annual price to around $49. For some, it feels like a cash grab.
But here’s the thing: if you were looking at the walmart 2024 black friday ad specifically for the "Special Buy" items—like the $5 pajama pants or the $39 6.5-ft pre-lit Christmas trees—you almost had to have the membership. Those five hours of early access are when the high-demand, low-inventory stuff gets picked clean. If you're just buying a laptop or a vacuum, you can probably skip the subscription and still get what you want.
Why the Ad Looks Different Now
Walmart has leaned hard into the "Restored" program. If you looked closely at the 2024 ad, several of the most "shocking" prices were for refurbished items.
The Apple MacBook Air for $194? Restored.
The Dyson Corrale straightener for $169? Restored.
It’s not a bad thing—they come with warranties—but it’s a nuance that caught some shoppers off guard. You've gotta read the fine print. Walmart is betting that people care more about the price tag than the "brand new" box, and based on how fast the restored MacBooks sold out, they’re right.
Actionable Next Steps for Shoppers
The 2024 season showed us that waiting for Friday is a losing game. If you missed out on specific items this year, use these insights to prep for the next cycle.
First, download the Walmart app and start "hearting" items now. The app will notify you the second a price drop hits, often before the ad is even formally announced. Second, check your local store's hours about two weeks before Thanksgiving; while most open at 6 a.m. on Friday, some Neighborhood Markets have different schedules.
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Lastly, keep an eye on the "Special Buy" labels in the walmart 2024 black friday ad. These are items manufactured specifically for the sale. They have great prices, but they won't be restocked once they're gone. If it doesn't say "Special Buy," there's a good chance it will go on "Rollback" again later in December.