Everyone thinks they know how to play the game when the calendar hits November. You see the big blue sign, you see the "Rollback" stickers, and you assume the work is done. But honestly, if you walked into a store on the morning of the actual Friday expecting to find the best black friday walmart deals 2024 had to offer, you were already about two weeks too late.
The strategy at Walmart has fundamentally shifted. It’s no longer a one-day sprint; it’s a marathon of "events."
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I’ve spent years tracking retail trends, and 2024 was the year Walmart decided to turn their sale into a multi-episode TV drama. They literally called their marketing campaign "Deals of Desire," parodying shows like Friday Night Lights and Bridgerton. It was weird. It was dramatic. And if you weren't paying attention to the specific "event" dates, you likely missed the record-low $178 price tag on that 55-inch Hisense 4K TV.
Why the Black Friday Walmart Deals 2024 Schedule Changed Everything
You can't just show up anymore. In 2024, Walmart split their Black Friday into three distinct phases. The first "Event" kicked off online on November 11. Most people were still eating leftover Halloween candy while the $449 Dyson V12 Slim Absolute was flying off the digital shelves.
Then came Event 2 on November 25. This was the "main" event for most, but here's the kicker: if you didn't have a Walmart+ membership, you were basically fighting for scraps. Members got a five-hour head start. That meant by the time the general public got access at 5:00 PM ET, those $89 Apple AirPods (2nd Gen) were often already showing the dreaded "out of stock" notification.
It's a tiered system now. It’s pay-to-play.
The Tech and Toy Reality Check
Let's talk about the actual gear. Everyone wants the cheap TV, but the real value in 2024 was tucked away in the "hidden" categories. While the masses were fighting over the $228 TCL 65-inch Roku TV, savvy shoppers were grabbing the M1 MacBook Air for $599. That’s a laptop that still holds its own today, and seeing it under six bills was a legitimate moment for the tech world.
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Apple usually stays stingy with discounts, but Walmart leaned hard into the ecosystem this year. We saw:
- AirPods Pro 2 hitting $154.
- The 10th Gen iPad dropping to $259.
- Apple Watch Series 10 (the brand new one!) falling to $329 almost immediately after launch.
On the toy side, it was a LEGO bloodbath. The LEGO Star Wars Ahsoka Tano’s T-6 Jedi Shuttle was slashed from $80 down to $45. If you’ve ever bought LEGOs, you know that 40% off on a licensed Star Wars set is basically a miracle.
The Walmart+ Controversy
There’s a lot of noise online about whether the $49 promotional Walmart+ membership was actually worth it. Some shoppers called it a "scam" on social media because certain items sold out during the early access window anyway.
Is it a rip-off? Not necessarily. But it is a psychological trick. By offering the membership at half-price ($49 instead of $98), Walmart ensured they had a locked-in audience before the deals even started. If you're a casual shopper, it might not make sense. But if you were aiming for the PlayStation 5 "Cobalt Star" Fortnite bundle at $424, that five-hour head start was the difference between a gift under the tree and an empty hand.
Home and Kitchen: Where the Real Savings Hid
Everyone focuses on the electronics, but the kitchen deals were arguably more aggressive. The Gourmia 8-quart digital air fryer was priced at $35. Thirty-five dollars. You can barely get a decent steak for that price, yet here was a machine that could cook an entire chicken.
The vacuum wars were also intense. Dyson is the big name, and the V8 Absolute at $229.99 was a solid grab, but the Tineco iFloor 2 at $99 was the "sleeper hit." It's a wet-dry vac that actually works. Most people ignore these mid-tier brands, but in 2024, they offered the best price-to-performance ratio.
Breaking Down the Big Wins (and Fails)
- TVs: The Hisense 55-inch R6 for $178 was the headline, but the picture quality is... well, it's a $178 TV. It’s great for a guest room or a dorm. If you wanted something for your main theater, the Samsung 65-inch S90C OLED at $1,375 was the actual "pro" move.
- Gaming: Nintendo Switch bundles stayed at $249. It’s the same price we’ve seen for years. Not a "deal" so much as a tradition. The real story was the Xbox Series X (1TB Digital Edition) for $398.
- Clothing: This is where the 80% off claims come from. You had Michael Kors bags for $69 that "originally" retailed for nearly $400. Take those original prices with a grain of salt—they are often inflated to make the discount look deeper.
Practical Steps for Future Sales
If you're looking back at the black friday walmart deals 2024 to prepare for next time, you need a different playbook. Don't wait for the ad scan to leak; it’s usually out by late October anyway. Instead, do this:
- Track the Price History: Use tools to see if that "Rollback" price was actually the normal price three months ago. Retailers love to hike prices in September just to "discount" them in November.
- The "Add to Cart" Trick: Put your must-have items in your cart the night before the event starts. When the clock hits noon (for members) or 5:00 PM, just hit refresh and checkout. Seconds matter.
- Ignore the Door: The best stuff isn't at the front of the store. It’s in the "Event" aisles in the middle of the floor, or more likely, only available on the app.
Walmart has essentially turned Black Friday into a digital scavenger hunt. The "deal" is no longer just about the price; it’s about the access. If you aren't part of the ecosystem, you're paying the "procrastination tax."
Stop looking at Black Friday as a single day. It’s a month-long battle of inventory management. Start your search on November 1st, get your membership during the half-price window, and focus on the mid-tier tech that everyone else is overlooking. That is how you actually win.