Last year I woke up early on Black Friday, opened the Walmart app, and found the TV I wanted was already sold out. The worst part was that the deal had gone live days before, and I had no idea.

Walmart does not drop everything on one single morning anymore. The best deals start early, some are only open to certain members, and the dates change every year.

Walmart Black Friday Sale Tracker

Walmart’s 2026 holiday calendar has one confirmed sale so far. Every other row is either a fixed calendar date or the slot Walmart used in past years, and anything marked expected is my estimate, not a Walmart announcement.

Walmart Deals Live Right Now

Walmart’s big fall sale is over. Fall Deals ran from October 5 to October 11, and anyone could shop it without a Walmart+ membership. It offered up to 50% off home, up to 40% off fashion and tech, and up to 30% off toys.

Walmart has shared its holiday plans, but it has not announced Black Friday 2026 event dates yet. It did the same thing last year.

Walmart has not confirmed this year’s dates, but if it follows the same pattern, the first wave should start in mid-November. Black Friday itself is Friday, November 27. Some deal sites are guessing at exact dates, so treat those as predictions until Walmart confirms.

★ My take is to wait and watch. Walmart usually saves its best prices for the Black Friday events, and Fall Deals is a preview, not the main show.

Check back once Walmart posts its official dates, because this section will turn into the running deal list when the first event goes live.

Walmart Black Friday Dates by Year

Walmart has run Black Friday as two deal events plus a separate Cyber Monday sale for three straight years. It announced each schedule between October 27 and November 1, and the first deals went online about two weeks before Thanksgiving.

In 2024, Event 1 started online on November 11 and Event 2 on November 25. In 2025, Event 1 started on November 14 and Event 2 on November 25. Stores usually got the deals a few days after the website.

Walmart announced on the last Monday of October in both 2024 and 2025, and October 26 is the last Monday this year, so that is my best guess for the 2026 announcement.

Walmart+ Early Access for Black Friday

Walmart+ early access is a head start on the same Black Friday deals that open to everyone later. In 2025, paid members could shop each event five hours early, starting at 7 p.m. ET the night before. You don’t need Walmart+ to get the Black Friday prices, and the head start only applies online.

In 2023, members got a three-hour head start, and in 2024 it grew to five hours. At its June 2026 Deals event, Walmart tried a new format, giving members first access to hot deals for 24 hours before opening them to everyone. If Walmart brings that to Black Friday, early access will matter more than ever.

Walmart+ Price

Walmart+ costs $98 a year or $12.95 a month as of October 2026, and the signup page offers a 30-day trial for $1. Walmart’s help page says early access goes to paid members, so I wouldn’t count on a trial getting the head start unless Walmart says so when you sign up.

I’d only pay for early access if you’re chasing one high-demand item, like a PlayStation 5 or a cheap 65-inch TV. For jeans and cookware, five hours rarely changes what you pay.

Thanksgiving and Black Friday Store Hours

Walmart stores are expected to be closed on Thanksgiving, Thursday, November 26, 2026. Walmart has closed its U.S. stores on Thanksgiving every year since 2020, but the actual timings will be confirmed soon.

On Black Friday 2025, Walmart kept its regular hours. A Walmart spokesperson told NBC’s TODAY show that stores would open at 6 a.m. and close at 11 p.m. on November 28, 2025. I expect a 6 a.m. opening again on November 27, 2026, but check your own store, since hours can change by location.

A closed store does not stop the deals. In 2025, Walmart’s second Black Friday event went live online on Tuesday, November 25. It stayed online only through Thanksgiving Day, then reached stores at 6 a.m. on Friday.

Honestly, I would skip the 6 a.m. line. By the time the doors open, online shoppers have already had three days to buy the same deals.

The full Walmart holiday schedule covers the rest of the season, including Christmas Day, the only other day Walmart closes.

Walmart Black Friday Price Match Rules

Walmart does not price match Black Friday deals. Walmart stores normally match the price of an identical item advertised on Walmart.com, but Walmart’s price match policy leaves out special event prices. It names “Black Friday or Cyber Monday deals” right next to Rollbacks and clearance.

Walmart also does not match competitors’ prices or Marketplace seller prices. If the price drops on something you already bought, Walmart.com will not give you back the difference.

The store manager on duty has the final say on any regular price match.

Matches on Walmart.com prices are not offered in Alaska, Hawaii, or Puerto Rico. The rest of Walmart’s price match rules stay the same all year.

Black Friday Returns at Walmart

Walmart’s holiday return window covers most items bought in stores or online from October 1 through December 31, with returns accepted until January 31. That covers most of what you buy during Fall Deals, Black Friday, and Cyber Monday.

Marketplace items work differently

• Items sold and shipped by a Marketplace seller get a 30-day return window
• Walmart says seller participation in the holiday extension can change
• Check the “sold and shipped by” line on the product page before you buy

This matters on Black Friday. Walmart’s own 2025 best-seller list included PlayStation 5 consoles from Marketplace sellers.

Return windows outside the holiday period

• Most items get 90 days
• Most consumer electronics get 30 days
• Wireless phones get 14 days

For a TV or laptop, I would plan around the 30-day window and treat January 31 as a bonus if your item qualifies. The Walmart electronics return policy goes deeper on electronics returns.

Walmart Cyber Monday 2026

Walmart Cyber Monday 2026 falls on Monday, November 30.

Walmart ran Cyber Monday as an online-only sale in both 2024 and 2025, and it has not announced 2026 start times yet.

In 2025, Walmart+ members could shop starting at 7 p.m. ET on Sunday, November 30. Everyone else got in at 12:01 a.m. ET on Monday, December 1. If Walmart repeats this, members would start around 7 p.m. ET on Sunday, November 29, 2026.

The 2025 sale also ran longer than the name suggests. Walmart extended the deals through December 7, so shoppers had a full week instead of one day.

Shop Walmart Black Friday Deals

Walmart’s Black Friday deals reward the people who set up before the start time. These are the steps I would follow for each 2026 event:

1. Sign in to the Walmart app before the deals drop. Save your address and payment method so checkout takes seconds.
2. Save the items you want to a list as soon as Walmart previews the deals, so you are not searching when the clock starts.
3. Change the start time to your own time zone. Midnight ET is 9 p.m. the night before on the West Coast, and the 2025 Walmart+ start of 7 p.m. ET was 4 p.m. Pacific.
4. Check if each item is sold and shipped by Walmart or by a Marketplace seller, since that decides your return window.
5. Choose pickup or delivery at checkout. Walmart said in November 2025 that it can deliver to 95% of U.S. households in three hours or less. Fees depend on your order and membership.
6. Compare the online price before you drive to a store, because the register will not match a Walmart.com Black Friday price.
7. Keep your receipt or order confirmation until January 31 in case you need a holiday return.