Walmart's Black Friday 2026 sales come in three waves, and the first one is now live. The Early Black Friday Deals event opened online at 12:01 a.m. ET on Thursday, November 12, reaches stores at 6 a.m. local time and runs to November 15. The main Black Friday Deals event opens online on November 23 and in stores at 6 a.m. on Black Friday, November 27, and ends November 29. Cyber Monday Deals then run online from November 30 to December 2. Below are the exact times, what Walmart+ members get first, how Walmart's dates compare with Amazon and Best Buy, and the store hours to know.[1][2][3]
 | |
| Retailer | Walmart (US stores and Walmart.com) |
|---|---|
| Event 1 | Early Black Friday Deals, Nov 12 to 15 |
| Status | Live since 12:01 a.m. ET, Nov 12 |
| Event 2 | Black Friday Deals, Nov 23 to 29 |
| Event 3 | Cyber Monday Deals, Nov 30 to Dec 2 |
| Online start | 12:01 a.m. ET on each first day |
| Black Friday | Friday, November 27, 2026 |
| Store opening | 6 a.m. local time |
| Thanksgiving (Nov 26) | Stores closed |
| Member perk | Walmart+ first-day hot deal drops |
When does Walmart Black Friday 2026 start?
The first wave is already running. Walmart's Early Black Friday Deals went live on Walmart.com and in the app at 12:01 a.m. Eastern on Thursday, November 12, which was 9:01 p.m. Pacific on Wednesday evening and 05:01 GMT on Thursday for readers in the UK. Stores join at 6 a.m. local time on Thursday, and the event runs through Sunday, November 15. TODAY, Lifehacker, Mashable, Quartz and 9to5Toys all give the same November 12 to 15 window.[1][2][3][6][7]
Walmart first put these dates out in late October, and IGN reported at the time that the opening wave would start at midnight Eastern with Walmart+ members getting in first. Nothing in the schedule has moved since then.[11][1]
Black Friday itself falls on Friday, November 27, 2026, the day after Thanksgiving, and Cyber Monday is Monday, November 30. Walmart's sales sit around those two days rather than on them alone, which is why the season now starts more than two weeks early.[4][3]
The early sale is live: what we can confirm
Two deal desks that track Walmart every year confirmed the switch-on within minutes. 9to5Toys posted at 9 p.m. Pacific on November 11 that the early sale was "now live" and runs through midnight on Sunday, November 15. Tom's Guide followed at 05:00 GMT, saying the first round of Walmart Black Friday deals is officially live and stays up through November 15.[12][13]
The Walmart+ head start works the way TODAY and Mashable described it before launch. 9to5Toys says members get a full day on the "hot Deal drops", and any hot drop items left over open to everyone at 12:01 a.m. ET on Friday, November 13. The rest of the sale looks open to all shoppers from the start.[12][1][4]
On what is actually in the sale, both outlets list Apple products, TVs, small kitchen appliances, clothing and holiday gifts such as advent calendars. Tom's Guide also repeats the next two dates: the main deal drop on Monday, November 23 and the Cyber Monday drop on Monday, November 30. We are still not listing prices, because they move during the event; check the live price on Walmart.com before you buy.[12][13]
The three Walmart deal events, one by one
Early Black Friday Deals: November 12 to 15
This is the warm-up, and it is the only one of the three events that starts in stores on its first day. Online deals open at 12:01 a.m. ET and store shelves follow at 6 a.m. local time on November 12.[1][2] Quartz points out that the early wave matters most for items that tend to sell out, because members see the first drops before everyone else.[6]
Black Friday Deals: November 23 to 29
The main event starts online at 12:01 a.m. ET on Monday, November 23. For four days it is online only; stores join at 6 a.m. local time on Black Friday, November 27, and the event closes on Sunday, November 29. Mashable, Lifehacker and Quartz all describe the same online-first split, so if you are planning a store trip for the main sale, Friday morning is the earliest it makes sense.[3][2][6]
Cyber Monday Deals: November 30 to December 2
Walmart's Cyber Monday event opens online at 12:01 a.m. ET on November 30 and runs to Wednesday, December 2. That is a three-day Cyber Monday, two days longer than the single Monday most shoppers think of.[1][3][6]
Do you need Walmart+ to get the deals?
No. All three events are open to every shopper. What Walmart+ buys you is a head start on certain featured items. TODAY reports that select "hot deal drops" are for Walmart+ members only on the first day of the first two events, November 12 and November 23, and open to everyone on November 13 and 24. Mashable describes the same perk as select online-only deals held for members for the first 24 hours, while supplies last.[1][4]
A few details are worth knowing before you sign up just for the sale:
- Walmart+ costs $98 a year, according to both Mashable and Lifehacker. Mashable also lists a monthly option.[3][2]
- Mashable reports that people on a free trial are not eligible for the early access, so a trial started tonight may not unlock the first-day drops. Check the terms in the Walmart app before you rely on it.[4]
- Members can now bundle Walmart+ with Sam's Club Plus for $120 a year, a combination both TODAY and Mashable mention.[1][3]
Some outlets describe the member perk differently. Lifehacker, for example, writes about a six-hour early-access window. The first-day hot drop rule above is the version given by TODAY and Mashable, so treat the exact length of the head start as something to confirm in the app on the night.[2][1][4]
What will be on sale?
Walmart has not published a full list of prices for the later events, and we are not going to guess them. What the retailer and the deal press have said about categories:
- Lifehacker, summing up Walmart's announcement, lists electronics, toys, fashion, beauty, home goods, gifts and everyday essentials.[2]
- Mashable expects Walmart's usual strengths again: budget TVs, popular toys, gaming consoles and small appliances.[3]
- Yahoo Shopping describes the early slate as tech upgrades, cold-weather clothing and holiday kitchenware.[8]
On the "Walmart Black Friday ad": Mashable reported on November 9 that a couple of Walmart's ad scans for the early event were already live, giving a preview of what drops on November 12. Prices shown in ads and on deal sites can change before and during the event, so compare the live price on Walmart.com before you buy.[5]
Walmart vs Amazon vs Best Buy: who starts when?
Walmart is not the earliest of the big three. Amazon's Black Friday Week starts on Thursday, November 19 and runs through Cyber Monday on November 30, and Best Buy's main Black Friday sale runs from November 19 to 28, followed by its Cyber Monday event on November 29 and 30. Both 9to5Toys and Mashable list those dates.[7][4]
Where Walmart stands out is at the ends of the season: its early wave starts on November 12, and its Cyber Monday sale runs to December 2. If a price you want shows up in the Walmart early event, it is worth checking Amazon and Best Buy again once their main events open on November 19.[7][4]
Walmart store hours for Thanksgiving and Black Friday
Walmart stores are closed on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 26. Yahoo Shopping lists Walmart among the chains that have confirmed a Thanksgiving closure, and Mashable says the same.[8][4] On Black Friday, stores open at 6 a.m. local time, a time given by Mashable, Lifehacker and TODAY. Mashable lists closing at 11 p.m., but hours can vary by store, so check your local store page.[4][2][1]
Walmart.com is open throughout, including Thanksgiving, so the online part of the Black Friday Deals event keeps running on the day stores are shut. For today's holiday hours, our Veterans Day 2026 open and closed guide covers what is running.
The $35 Holiday Meal Basket
Alongside the sales, Walmart is selling its Holiday Meal Basket again. In its October 28 announcement, Walmart said the 2026 basket serves 10 people for $35, which works out at $3.50 per person, with 26 items, 18% more items than last year, and that it is available through December 24 in stores and online. USA Today and several local broadcasters also reported the $35 price for 10 people.[9][10]
Food and holiday prices are a live issue this year. October's consumer prices rose faster than forecast, as we covered in our US CPI October 2026 explainer, so a fixed-price basket is easy to budget around.
How to plan your Walmart Black Friday
- Tonight (Nov 11 to 12): if you want a scarce item, be online at 12:01 a.m. ET. Members see the hot drops first.[1]
- Nov 13 to 15: the early deals are open to everyone and in stores.[1][2]
- Nov 19: Amazon and Best Buy start their main events; compare prices.[7]
- Nov 23 to 26: Walmart's main event, online only.[3]
- Nov 27, 6 a.m.: stores open for Black Friday.[4]
- Nov 30 to Dec 2: last chance with Cyber Monday Deals online.[6]
Not every big buy this season is a Black Friday deal. For two launches people are asking about, see our guides to the Ring Drone Cam and to GTA 6 pre-orders.
Frequently asked questions
When does Walmart Black Friday 2026 start?
It has already started. The first event, Early Black Friday Deals, went live online at 12:01 a.m. ET on Thursday, November 12, 2026, and opens in stores at 6 a.m. local time the same day. It ends on November 15.[1][2]
When is Black Friday 2026?
Friday, November 27, 2026. Cyber Monday is November 30.[4][3]
Is Walmart open on Thanksgiving 2026?
No. Walmart stores are closed on Thursday, November 26, and open at 6 a.m. on Black Friday.[8][4]
Are the November 23 Walmart deals in stores?
Not at first. The Black Friday Deals event is online only from November 23 to 26; stores join on November 27.[3][2]
How long is Walmart's Cyber Monday sale?
Three days, from November 30 to December 2, online.[1][6]
Do I need Walmart+ for Walmart Black Friday deals?
No. Walmart+ members only get first access to select hot deal drops on November 12 and November 23.[1][4]
References
- "Walmart Announces 3 Deal Events for Black Friday and Cyber Monday". TODAY. November 2026. today.com
- "Walmart's 2026 Black Friday and Cyber Monday Sales: Dates, Early Deals, and What to Expect". Lifehacker. November 10, 2026. lifehacker.com
- "Everything to know about Walmart Black Friday 2026: Early access, best deals, store hours, and more". Mashable. October 30, 2026. mashable.com
- "When do Black Friday sales actually start? Official sale times for Amazon, Walmart, Best Buy, Target". Mashable. November 11, 2026. mashable.com
- "Black Friday 2026 at Walmart: See the ad and check out early deals". Mashable. November 9, 2026. mashable.com
- "Walmart's 2026 Black Friday sale: 3 events, Nov. 12 to Dec. 2, and dates". Quartz. November 6, 2026. qz.com
- "Black Friday 2026 deal schedule: Amazon, Google, Walmart, Home Depot, more". 9to5Toys. November 10, 2026. 9to5toys.com
- "Black Friday store hours 2026: When are Walmart, Target, Best Buy, Apple, Costco and more retailers open for holiday shopping?". Yahoo Shopping. November 11, 2026. shopping.yahoo.com
- "Walmart Meal Basket Serves 10 for $35, $3.50 Per Person". Walmart. October 28, 2026. corporate.walmart.com
- "Walmart's $35 Thanksgiving feast for 10. How to save $10 more". USA Today. November 10, 2026. usatoday.com; "Walmart Offers Holiday Meal Basket for 10 People for Just $35". Boston's ROCK 92.9. November 8, 2026. rock929rocks.com
- "Walmart Announces First Wave of 2026 Black Friday Deals, Starting November 12". IGN. October 27, 2026. ign.com
- "Walmart 2026 early Black Friday sale now live! Thousands of deals, LEGO, tech, home, more". 9to5Toys. November 11, 2026. 9to5toys.com
- "Walmart's first Black Friday deals drop is live: save on Apple, Ninja, Reebok, more". Tom's Guide. November 12, 2026. tomsguide.com