Black Friday isn't just a day anymore. Honestly, if you showed up at a Walmart on the Friday after Thanksgiving expecting the first crack at the deals, you were already weeks late. The walmart in store black friday ad 2024 was basically a roadmap for a month-long marathon, not a sprint.
Walmart ditched the "one-day-only" chaos years ago. For 2024, they stuck with their multi-event strategy. It's smart, really. By spreading the sales out, they keep the crowds manageable and the shipping lanes from getting totally clogged. But for the average shopper, it's kinda confusing. You’ve got different dates for online drops, different times for in-store doors opening, and then there’s the whole Walmart+ early access thing that basically creates a VIP line before the regular "doors" even open.
The Three-Wave Strategy of the Walmart In Store Black Friday Ad 2024
Most people think Black Friday starts on Friday. Nope. Not at Walmart. The 2024 season was split into three distinct phases.
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The first event kicked off online on Monday, November 11. If you wanted to touch the products in person, you had to wait until Friday, November 15, when the doors opened at 6 a.m. local time. That first wave was heavy on the tech basics—stuff like the Apple iPhone 13 for $199 and those $69 Beats Solo 3 headphones that always seem to sell out in ten minutes.
Then came the second wave. This was the "main" event. It hit the website on Monday, November 25. The actual walmart in store black friday ad 2024 for the physical locations went live on Friday, November 29. That’s the traditional Black Friday. But by then, a lot of the online stock was already picked over by the Walmart+ crowd who got a five-hour head start.
When the Doors Actually Opened
Walmart kept its tradition of staying closed on Thanksgiving Day.
If you were looking to shop in-store, here was the basic schedule for the big day:
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- Doors Opened: 6:00 a.m. local time on Friday, Nov 29.
- Doors Closed: 11:00 p.m. local time.
What Was Actually in the Ad?
The 37-page ad scan was a bit of a beast. It wasn't just TVs and Laptops. They had $5 Disney Squishmallows and $6 character pajamas for kids. Kinda felt like they were trying to capture every possible gift category.
The big "Special Buy" items are usually what drive people into the aisles. In 2024, the standout was a 75-inch TCL 4K Roku TV for $378. Think about that for a second. A 75-inch screen for less than four hundred bucks. Ten years ago, that would have sounded like a typo. They also had a 65-inch Samsung for $398, which is a solid deal for anyone who prefers the bigger brand names over TCL or Hisense.
Top Tech Deals from the In-Store Event
- Apple AirPods (2nd Gen): $89.
- Dyson V12 Detect Slim: $399.99 (That’s $250 off the sticker price).
- Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+: $149.99.
- PlayStation 5 Slim Fortnite Bundle: $424.
- Nintendo Switch Joy-Cons: $59.
The vacuum deals were actually some of the most competitive. The Shark WZ250 Stick Vacuum was a "Special Buy" at $144. If you’ve ever tried to keep a house clean during the holidays, you know why people go feral for a good Shark or Dyson discount.
The Walmart+ Factor: Is it a Pay-to-Play Game?
Look, we have to talk about the early access. Walmart+ members got to shop the online deals five hours before the general public. This is where most people get frustrated. By the time the sale "officially" starts at 5 p.m. ET, some of the hottest items—like those $228 TCL 65-inch TVs—are already showing as "Out of Stock."
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Is it fair? Maybe not. But it's how the game is played now. Walmart even discounted the annual membership to $49 (half price) leading up to the sale to entice people to join. If you're hunting for a specific, high-demand item, that five-hour window is basically the difference between getting the deal and staring at a "Notify Me" button.
Hidden Gems and Stocking Stuffers
While everyone was fighting over the TVs, the walmart in store black friday ad 2024 had some surprisingly good deals on home goods and clothes.
The 14-piece "Beautiful" by Drew Barrymore knife set was $38.88.
Levi Strauss Signature jeans for men and women were $15.
Even the small stuff, like $10 4-wick spa candles, made for easy gifts.
There was also a massive push for "Restored" tech. Walmart has been leaning hard into their refurbished program. You could snag a Restored 13.3-inch MacBook Pro for $299. For a student or someone who just needs a secondary machine for browsing, that’s a steal, even if it's a few generations old.
How to Navigate the In-Store Experience
If you actually went into the store on Friday morning, the experience was a bit different than the "doorbuster" riots of the 2000s. Because so much shopping moved online, the stores were busy but not necessarily dangerous.
The best strategy for the walmart in store black friday ad 2024 was to use the Walmart app. It has a store map feature. You could literally look up the item in the app, and it would show you exactly which aisle or "Action Alley" pallet the item was sitting on. This saved people from wandering aimlessly through the toy department looking for that one specific LEGO Friends set.
Actionable Tips for Future Sales
If you missed out on the 2024 deals or you're planning for the next cycle, keep these steps in mind:
- Check the "Special Buy" Labels: These items are manufactured specifically for Black Friday. They usually have slightly different specs than the standard models you see year-round. They’re great deals, but make sure the ports and features match what you actually need.
- Download the App Early: Use it to scan barcodes in-store to check if an item is part of the Black Friday event or just a regular price.
- Watch the Return Windows: Walmart usually extends holiday returns through January 31, but double-check the fine print on "Restored" or high-end electronics.
- Price Match Reality Check: Walmart generally does not price match competitors during the Black Friday week. What you see in the ad is what you get.
The walmart in store black friday ad 2024 proved that the physical store still matters, even if the "event" has shifted toward the digital space. It’s all about the prep work. If you show up with a plan and the app ready to go, you can still find those "how-is-this-so-cheap" deals without the headache.