Walmart changed the rules. Honestly, if you were looking for that single, massive newsprint circular that used to hit driveways on Thanksgiving morning, you probably felt a bit lost. The black friday walmart ad 2024 wasn't just a flyer; it was a multi-stage tactical rollout that fundamentally shifted how we think about holiday doorbusters.
Gone are the days of one big reveal.
Instead, Walmart split their strategy into three distinct "deals events." It’s a lot to keep track of. You had the first wave hitting early in November, a second wave mid-month, and then the "actual" Black Friday event. It felt like a marathon rather than a sprint. This year, the focus shifted heavily toward Walmart+ members, giving them a five-hour head start on almost every major discount. If you weren't a member, you were basically watching the digital shelves empty in real-time before you even had a chance to click "add to cart."
The Multi-Event Strategy in the Black Friday Walmart Ad 2024
Most people expected a single date. They got a calendar.
The first event kicked off on Monday, November 11, online. This was the "early bird" phase. It focused heavily on home goods and toys. We saw the Dyson V12 Slim for $399, which was a massive drop from its usual $600-ish price point. Then, Event 2 rolled out on November 25. This was the electronics heavy-hitter. This is where the black friday walmart ad 2024 really showed its teeth, featuring the 65-inch Samsung Class DU6900 4K Smart TV for just $398.
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It’s interesting how they staggered this. By the time the "official" Black Friday arrived on November 29, the hype was already at a fever pitch.
The physical ad itself—which you could view on their app—was 36 pages of condensed chaos. It featured everything from $5 pajama sets to $500 gaming consoles. But the real story wasn't the paper; it was the "Glow Up" marketing campaign. Walmart leaned hard into nostalgia, bringing back characters from Mean Girls and National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation for their commercials. They weren't just selling TVs; they were selling the idea that you could "win" Christmas by being the fastest person on their app.
Why the Walmart+ Paywall Mattered More This Year
Membership has its privileges. In 2024, that privilege was a five-hour window.
If you didn't have Walmart+, you were relegated to the "general public" start times, which were usually 5:00 PM ET online. Members got in at 12:00 PM ET. On high-demand items like the PlayStation 5 Slim bundles or the $188 AirPods Pro (2nd Gen), those five hours were the difference between a "Confirmed" email and an "Out of Stock" notification.
It’s a smart business move. It converts seasonal shoppers into recurring revenue streams. But for the average shopper just looking for a deal on a Keurig, it felt a little like a gatekeeper stood between them and the savings.
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The Tech Deals That Actually Lived Up to the Hype
Let's talk about the hardware. The black friday walmart ad 2024 was surprisingly aggressive with Apple products. Usually, Apple discounts are stingy—maybe $20 off here or there. Walmart went the other way.
The 9th Generation iPad dropped to $199. That’s a psychological price point that moves units. They also pushed the MacBook Air M2 down to $649. For a laptop that still feels modern and snappy, that was arguably the best value in the entire circular.
- Beats Solo 3 Wireless Headphones: Marked down to $69.
- Apple Watch Series 9: Dropped to $329.
- HP 15.6" Laptop: A budget-friendly $199 for the student crowd.
The gaming section was equally wild. We saw the Nintendo Switch OLED bundled with Mario Kart 8 Deluxe for $349. It’s a bundle we see every year, sure, but it still sells out every single time.
The "Hidden" Categories in the Ad
Toys and home goods are the quiet giants of the Walmart Black Friday ecosystem. While everyone is fighting over the last 75-inch Hisense TV, the savvy shoppers are in the toy aisle or the kitchen section.
The 2024 ad featured the LEGO Star Wars Invisible Hand set for $35. Squishmallows—those pillowy plushies that kids (and some adults) obsess over—were priced at $5 for the small ones. In the kitchen, the Ninja Professional Blender was a steal at $59. These are the items that fill the carts while the big-ticket items grab the headlines.
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Logistics and the Death of the Midnight Rush
Remember standing in the cold at 3:00 AM? That’s mostly a memory now.
Walmart stores opened at 6:00 AM local time on Friday, November 29. The "doorbuster" culture has shifted online. The black friday walmart ad 2024 specifically emphasized "Online First" deals. This creates a weird dynamic. By the time people walked through the sliding glass doors on Friday morning, many of the best items were already spoken for via "Buy Online, Pick Up In-Store" (BOPIS) orders.
The inventory management was surprisingly tight. Walmart utilized their "local fulfillment centers" (essentially mini-warehouses inside the stores) to get orders out faster. If you ordered that $10 Slow Cooker on Monday, it was likely at your door by Wednesday.
A Note on "Exclusive" Models
A word of caution for the skeptical shopper. You have to look at model numbers.
In the black friday walmart ad 2024, several of the cheapest TVs were "derivative models." These are units manufactured specifically for Black Friday. They might have one fewer HDMI port or a slightly lower-quality speaker system compared to the standard retail version. Is it a bad deal? No. Is it the exact same TV you’d buy in July for double the price? Usually, it's not.
Navigating the Aftermath and Cyber Monday
The ad didn't stop on Friday. It morphed.
Cyber Monday (December 2, 2024) saw a fresh wave of discounts that focused more on apparel and small electronics. The Walmart ad was refreshed on Sunday night, pivoting away from the big screen TVs and toward "stocking stuffers."
What was interesting was the price protection—or lack thereof. Walmart doesn't officially price-match competitors during the Black Friday window. If you bought something during the first event and it went lower in the third event, you were basically out of luck unless you wanted to deal with the return-and-rebuy hassle. Most people just ate the difference.
Actionable Strategy for Future Events
If you want to win at Walmart's game, you need a system. Looking back at the black friday walmart ad 2024, the winners were the people who did three things.
First, they joined Walmart+ at least a week early. Waiting until the day of the sale to sign up often led to account verification delays.
Second, they used the "List" feature in the app. You could browse the ad days in advance, "heart" the items you wanted, and then go straight to your favorites list the second the clock struck noon. Speed is the only currency that matters in a digital doorbuster.
Third, they checked the "Refurbished" section. Walmart’s "Restored" program had massive overlaps with the Black Friday ad, offering even deeper discounts on tech that was basically brand new.
Maximize Your Savings Now
- Audit your receipts: Check if any items you bought have since seen a permanent price drop; while Walmart won't price match "deals," they often lower base prices after the holidays.
- Consolidate your Walmart+: If you only signed up for the deals, set a calendar reminder to cancel before the monthly fee hits, or evaluate if the free delivery saves you enough on groceries to justify the cost.
- Track the "Restored" inventory: Walmart often dumps excess Black Friday inventory into their "Restored" (refurbished) portal in late January at 20-30% below the "sale" prices you saw in November.
- Check for "Secret" Clearance: Many stores use the weeks following the ad's expiration to clear out "non-replenishment" items (things they won't carry year-round). Look for the yellow stickers in the garden center or back-end caps of electronics.
The 2024 cycle proved that the "ad" is no longer a document—it's a timeline. To get the best value, you have to stop thinking about Black Friday as a day and start viewing it as a month-long chess match between your wallet and the corporate algorithm.