It’s Already Black Friday at Walmart and Target

Seemingly everything has changed in 2020, and that includes Black Friday at Walmart and Target.

Walmart has announced it will “reinvent” the Black Friday experience by offering deals over three events — which start Nov. 4 — instead of focusing on the day after Thanksgiving.

Dubbed “Black Friday Deals for Days,” the new approach offers the “best prices of the season on the most sought-after items on 2020 holiday wish lists” during three November occasions.

• Event 1: Begins Nov. 4 online, and Nov. 7 in stores. Deals will be available on toys, electronics and home products.
• Event 2: Begins Nov. 11 online, and Nov. 14 in stores. Deals will be available on electronics, movies and music, apparel, home products and more.
• Event 3: Begins Nov. 25 online, and Nov. 27 in stores. Even more deals will be available on electronics, toys, apparel and home products. Seasonal decor also will be on sale.

Walmart also has announced that customers will have the option to pick up online Black Friday orders via the store’s curbside pickup service.

This year’s revamped Black Friday is a response to new realities tied to the coronavirus pandemic. Walmart says spreading out this year’s deals over a trio of events will make this year’s in-store shopping experience “safer and more manageable for both our customers and our associates.”

Walmart stores will open at 5 a.m. local time during event days, and the retailer will “meter customers into the store” in an extra attempt to keep shoppers safer. All customers will be asked to wear masks.

Meanwhile, Black Friday is already underway at Target.

The retailer has announced it will offer Black Friday savings throughout the month of November as part of a new approach called “Black Friday Now.” The goal is “giving guests more flexibility and ensuring they can plan ahead for a safe, stress-free shopping experience,” Target says.

Each week of the month will bring a new set of deals, with all of these Black Friday Now deals available both in stores and online.

• Nov. 1-7: Deals will be available on electronics — including Beats Studio3 headphones ($174.99 instead of $349.99), Bose Quiet Comfort 35 II headphones ($199.99 instead of $299.99) and the Ring Video Doorbell 3 ($139.99 instead of $199.99). More such deals will be available Nov. 6-8 — including the Keurig K-Mini ($49.99 instead of $89.99), the Dyson V8 vacuum ($229.99 instead of $379.99) and the TCL 65-inch 4K UHD HDR Android Smart TV ($229.99 instead of $399.99).
• Nov. 8-14: Deals will be available on kitchen and floor-care products.
• Nov. 15-21: Deals will be available on electronics, apparel and beauty items.
• Nov. 22-28: Deals will be available on toys, kitchen products, floor-care products and electronics.

For nearly all of these deals, customers will have the options to pick up online orders the same day.

Target also announced it has extended its price match guarantee so shoppers can take advantage of Black Friday Now deals without having to worry about prices falling later in the holiday shopping season. As the retailer explains it:

“From Nov. 1 through Dec. 24, you can request a price adjustment for any item advertised as a ‘Black Friday Now’ deal if it’s offered for a lower price at Target or Target.com. As always, we’ll match select competitors’ prices within 14 days of a purchase throughout the majority of the season.”