You've seen the blue and yellow circulars since you were a kid. It’s a tradition. But honestly, the way walmart ads for black friday work has changed so much in the last few years that if you’re still waiting for a paper flyer to hit your driveway, you’ve already lost the game.
Black Friday isn't a day anymore. It’s a season.
In 2025, Walmart basically blew up the old "one-day-only" model. They moved to a three-event system that started way back in mid-November. If you’re hunting for the absolute best prices, you have to realize that the "ads" aren't just lists of products; they are a carefully timed sequence of digital drops.
The Three-Wave Strategy in Walmart Ads for Black Friday
Walmart doesn't just dump all their inventory at once. That would be chaos for their servers and their staff. Instead, they split the deals into specific "events."
Event 1 usually kicks off around November 14th. This is where you see the first wave of electronics and home goods. Think Dyson V12s for $399 or 55-inch Hisense 4K TVs for $168.
Then comes Event 2, which most people consider the "actual" Black Friday. This starts online a few days before the holiday and hits physical stores on Friday morning. In 2025, this wave featured the big heavy hitters like the Meta Quest 3 for $249 and those $498 85-inch TCL Roku TVs that everyone fights over.
Finally, you have Cyber Monday. It’s the digital clean-up crew.
Why Walmart+ is No Longer Optional
If you're serious about scoring the deals you see in the walmart ads for black friday, you kinda have to have Walmart+.
✨ Don't miss: 70 Euros in USD: Why the Rate is Shifting Right Now
Is it annoying to pay for a membership? Sure. But here’s the reality: Walmart+ members get early access—usually about five hours before everyone else. When an ad lists a limited-quantity item like a $69 pair of Apple AirPods 4, those items are often 100% sold out before the general public even gets to click "add to cart."
Early access usually starts at 7 p.m. ET the night before the event. If you’re waiting until the "official" start time, you’re just looking at a "Sold Out" button.
What the Ads Don't Tell You About the "Deals"
We need to talk about "Special Buys."
When you see a price in an ad that looks too good to be true—like a 75-inch 4K TV for under $400—it’s often a "derivative" model. These are units manufactured specifically for Black Friday. They might have one fewer HDMI port or a slightly cheaper plastic stand than the standard model you’d buy in July.
They aren't "bad" products. They just aren't the exact same high-end models you see reviewed on tech blogs.
Experts like Khurrum Malik, VP of Marketing at Walmart Connect, have pointed out that advertisers use these weeks to build "early awareness." This means the ads you see in October are actually bait to get you into the ecosystem. They want you searching on the app so their AI assistant, Sparky, can start learning what you want.
The AI Shift in Shopping
Walmart is leaning hard into AI-powered shopping. In 2025, they introduced things like 3D showrooms and AI-generated audio summaries for beauty products.
The walmart ads for black friday are now integrated with your personal data. If you’ve been looking at air fryers, the "ad" you see on your home screen will look different from the one your neighbor sees. It's targeted. It's efficient. It’s a bit creepy, but it works.
Real Examples of 2025 Price Slashes
Let’s look at what actually happened with the numbers this year. The average discount surged to nearly 58% across the board.
- Laptops: The HP OmniBook 5 with an Intel Core Ultra 7 dropped from $979 to $479. That’s a massive cut for a high-performance machine.
- Kitchen: The Ninja Creami, which is basically a viral sensation every year, sat at $149 (down from $199).
- Gaming: PlayStation 5 bundles, specifically the Fortnite Flowering Chaos edition, hit $399.
The secret is the "Rollback." Walmart uses these badges to signal verified price drops. If an item doesn't have that badge in the ad, it might just be the regular price dressed up in holiday colors.
How to Actually Win on Black Friday
Stop looking at the ads on Friday morning. That’s the biggest mistake.
You need to be tracking price history weeks in advance. Use tools like CamelCamelCamel or Honey to see if that "Black Friday Deal" was actually cheaper in September. Many sellers on the Walmart Marketplace raise prices in October just so they can "discount" them in November.
Also, watch the shipping tags.
Items with "Pro Seller" or "Walmart Fulfilled" tags are much more likely to arrive on time. If you’re buying from a third-party seller listed in the ad, you’re at the mercy of their individual shipping speeds.
Actionable Steps for the Next Big Drop
Don't just wing it. If you want the items in the walmart ads for black friday, follow this checklist:
- Get Walmart+ a month early. Look for the 50% off membership deals that usually pop up in early November.
- Download the app. The mobile experience is always faster than the desktop site during high-traffic surges.
- Heart your items. Use the "Lists" feature. When the sale goes live, you can move everything to your cart in seconds rather than searching for individual pages.
- Check the model numbers. If you’re buying a TV or a laptop, Google the specific model number found in the fine print of the ad. If no reviews exist, it’s likely a Black Friday special model.
- Verify the "Sold by" info. Ensure you are buying directly from Walmart.com to avoid the headache of third-party holiday returns.
The chaos of the 5 a.m. store rush is mostly a memory. Today, the battle for the best deals is won at 6:59 p.m. on a Wednesday night, with a refreshed browser and a saved credit card.
Walmart knows this. Their ads are designed to reward the shoppers who are the most digitally prepared. If you're not one of them, you're just paying for everyone else's discounts.