What Time Does Walmart Open On Black Friday? It's Kind Of Complicated

Having an early Thanksgiving dinner used to mean you could squeeze a nap in before pie time, but now that certain Black Friday deals start early, it means you have time to get some holiday shopping done before the clock even strikes midnight. If you’re wondering what time Walmart opens on Black Friday, you may be happy to hear that the deals actually start on Turkey Day. The Walmart Black Friday event starts in stores at 6 p.m. local time on Thursday, Nov. 28.

A quick call to my local Walmart confirmed that on Nov. 29 (actual Black Friday) the store will be keeping its normal hours. This is not quite as black and white as it seems, however, because Walmart’s hours vary depending on the store. (There are two stores near me, for example; one is open 24 hours and the other is open from 6 a.m. to 12 a.m.) The best thing to do is contact your local store to confirm its operating hours, and then you’ll know they’ll be the same as usual on Black Friday. Regardless of their hours, The Black Friday sale will start at 6 p.m. Thanksgiving night, and if your store is open 24 hours, then lucky you, the deals will run all night.

The Walmart Black Friday ad, reveals the retailer is offering major savings on everything from the Little Tikes Princess Cottage, wooden swing sets, and Chromebooks, so it’s perhaps unsurprising that they’re expecting lines and crowds to form in-store before the sale starts, ready to check out at the strike of 6, (the kind Walmart employee I spoke with made a point to tell me this). This is all the more incentive to wrap up pie time early, pour hot cider or coffee into a travel mug and head to Walmart to get in line. But if you'd rather browse from the comfort of your home, you can start shopping Walmart's Black Friday deals online as early as Nov. 27 at 10 p.m. ET, per the ad.

Editor's note: This post has been updated to state the correct time when stores will open.