By Karim Hammam
Walmart has announced a major change to its Thanksgiving sales events, extending Black Friday deals across two separate periods and lengthening Cyber Monday promotions by four days compared to last year.
Extended sales periods
Black Friday deals will run November 12-15 and November 23-29, while Cyber Monday sales will take place November 30 through December 2. The first day of sales begins online at 12:01 a.m. EST and in stores at 6 a.m. local time. "It's all about helping our customers save more, discover more and make more room for what matters," said Walmart U.S. Chief Merchandising Officer Julie Barber.
Record holiday spending projected
U.S. consumers are projected to spend $1.02 trillion from November to December, marking the first time holiday spending surpasses the trillion-dollar benchmark, according to a September analysis by Bain & Company. In-store spending will account for 69 percent of all sales, the lowest share on record for brick-and-mortar stores, while online spending is expected to reach its biggest share ever at 31 percent.
Online shoppers are forecast to spend an unprecedented $275.1 billion online during the same period, data firm Adobe revealed. Cyber Monday is projected to be the biggest single online shopping day, with an estimated $15 billion in sales. Consultancy Deloitte found retail shoppers will spend around $548 online versus $440 in-store this year.
Walmart chasing Amazon
As online shopping grows, Walmart continues to pursue market leader Amazon. Amazon captured 37.6 percent of all online retail sales in 2025, while Walmart held a 6.4 percent share, according to March data from Synctify. Walmart has expanded delivery and pickup services through its paid Walmart+ subscription, priced at $98 per year, which includes unlimited home delivery and one-hour Express Pickup. Earlier this month, the retailer introduced a combined Sam's Club and Walmart+ membership for $120, offering unlimited delivery and shipping with the warehouse club.
