Wal-Mart to start offering holiday deals at 6 p.m. Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 28, two hours earlier than last year; customers can also shop early on Walmart.com Thanksgiving morning for some Black Friday deals that will also be available in stores

Cindy Allen

BENTONVILLE, Arkansas , November 12, 2013 (press release) – Walmart today unveiled its largest Black Friday plans to date, including seven times the number of one-hour guaranteed items compared to last year, "Manager Specials" and even more hot deals on the season's top gifts. The retailer will hold Black Friday events at 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. on Thanksgiving and 8 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 29.

"Black Friday is our day – our Super Bowl – and we're ready to prove once again that no one does it better than Walmart," said Bill Simon, president and CEO, Walmart U.S. "We're excited to give our customers an incredible Black Friday with shopping hours that will allow them to take advantage of great prices on Thanksgiving night and all weekend long."

Compared to last year, Walmart will offer 65 percent more inventory on televisions and double the number of tablets—some of the most popular Black Friday items. The retailer not only has more products, but lower prices too. For example, this year a 32" LED TV will be available at Walmart for $98. Last Black Friday, a 32" LED TV sold for $148 at Walmart.

"Delivering for our customers wouldn't be possible without our associates. They are a critical component of our success throughout the year, and especially during the holiday season," added Simon. "We appreciate each associate and the time they are dedicating to serve the families who shop our stores. As we have in the past, we'll be recognizing their hard work with additional pay and free meals during their shifts. This year, as a special thanks, associates who work on Thanksgiving Day will receive a 25 percent discount on an entire purchase this holiday season."

Details on Walmart's Black Friday events include:

One-Hour Guarantee – It's Back and Better!

In 2012, Walmart introduced the industry's first One-Hour Guarantee, a Black Friday event that guaranteed customers select items during a one-hour period. Due to an overwhelmingly positive response from customers, the retailer is bringing it back and expanding from the three items offered last year to 21 One-Hour Guarantee items this year.

Customers who are in the designated lines at Walmart between 6 and 7 p.m. or 8 and 9 p.m. local time on Thursday, Nov. 28 can purchase top gifts at special low prices with confidence that they'll receive the item either that night or before Christmas.

6 p.m. One-Hour Guarantee:

Vizio® 60" Class Smart LED 1080p HDTV - $688 (a $310 savings)
Apple iPad® mini Wi-Fi 16GB (two colors) - $299 with a $100 Walmart gift card
Funai 32" LED 720p HDTV - $98 (special buy)
Furby Boom!™ - $29 (a $30 savings)
HP® Pavilion TouchSmart 14-B109WM Laptop - $278 (special buy)
Call of Duty® Ghosts (Xbox 360 and Playstation 3) - $39.96 (a $20 savings)
LG® Blu-ray™ Player - $38 (special buy)
Graco ® Travel System (stroller and infant car seat) - $99 (special buy)
1 Carat T.W. Diamond and Sterling Silver Pendant and Earring Set - $98
Assassins Creed, NBA 2K14, Batman, Grand Theft Auto V (Xbox 360 and Playstation 3) - $34 each (a $25.96 savings)

8 p.m. One-Hour Guarantee:

Beats™ by Dr. Dre ® Solo Headphones - $114.95 (a $85 savings)
Straight Talk ® Galaxy Centura™ prepaid phone - $29 (a $70.88 savings)
RCA 7" Dual Core Tablet - $49 (special buy)

New Process to Make Shopping Easier on Black Friday

To help improve the shopping experience Walmart, for the first time in all stores, will hand out wristbands so customers can shop while they wait for some of the hottest items – like the new Sony PS4 and Microsoft Xbox One. Here's how it works:

Prior to the 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. events, customers need to go to the designated line within the store to secure a wristband for certain products. Wristbands will be distributed while supplies last.
Customers can shop for other gifts throughout the store while they wait for the 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. events to start.
Then customers with a wristband simply need to come back to the designated line within two hours after the event start time to pick up their product.

A full list of these items can be viewed at http://news.walmart.com/blackfriday.

Simon added, "Some other retailers advertise great deals, but may only have a handful of products available, forcing customers to wait outside the store only to leave disappointed. Not at Walmart. Most of our stores are open 24 hours so customers can come inside. And we've improved this year's shopping experience so customers can spend less time in line and get what they need without going anywhere else."

More Deals Across the Store

Walmart's chief merchandising and marketing officer, Duncan Mac Naughton has described this year's Black Friday deals as "smoking hot." Following are examples of the deals at each event:

Starting at 6 p.m., Nov. 28

700-thread count sheet set from Better Homes & Gardens® - $24.96 (special buy)
Licensed sleepwear for kids (Hello Kitty, Spiderman, Disney and Monster High) - $4.50
Kid's hoodies and jackets for $10
More than 100 video games priced at $10, $15 and $25 each
580 movies (including new releases) ranging in price from $1.96 to $9.96
Fisher-Price® 6-Volt Barbie™ Jeep or 6-Volt Hot Wheels® Jeep - $89 each (special buy)
Rubbermaid® 30-piece Easy Find Lids™ Storage Set - $6.92 (special buy)
National branded home appliances for $9.44
Garth Brooks Blame It All On My Roots Limited Edition Boxed Set - $24.96 (exclusive)
Big Hugs Elmo - $44 (a $5 savings)
Stanley® Rolling Tool Chest with 88-pc. Mechanical tool set - $89 (special buy)

Starting at 8 p.m., Nov. 28

VIZIO® 70" Class Smart LED 1080p HDTV - $998 (a $700 savings)
Samsung® 46" Class Smart LED 1080p HDTV - $497 (a $151 savings)
Element™ 40" Class LED 1080p HDTV - $178 (special buy)
Nabi™ 2 7" Tablet - $99 (a $80 savings)
Canon® T3 dsLR Bundle (75-300mm lens, bag and 8GB card) - $449 (special buy)
GoPro® Hero 3: White Edition - $199 with a $30 Walmart gift card
Monster® Headphones - $79.95 (a $50 savings)
Straight Talk® Samsung Galaxy S® III® prepaid phone - $299 (a $100 savings)

Starting at 8 a.m., Nov. 29

Apple iPhone® 5C ($45) and 5S ($189) with a $75 Walmart gift card; requires a two-year contract from AT&T or Verizon
Customers can save up to $127 per tire with Walmart's weekend tire in-stock guarantee
Keurig® K70 Platinum Brewing System - $169 with a $20 Walmart gift card
SodaStream™ Mega Bonus Kit - $79 with a $10 gift card (special buy)
Bostitch® 18-Volt Drill - $99 (a $50 savings)
Shatterproof Ornament 80-pack - $30 (special buy)

Extending Black Friday Deals with Manager's Specials

For the first time ever on Black Friday, Walmart will be activating "Manager's Specials." Throughout the store from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 29, Walmart will drop prices on entire categories and brands that are most in demand for holiday, as well as empower its local store managers to lower prices on other great items. For details, customers must like their local Walmart Facebook page by visiting: www.facebook.com/walmart.

"Couch Shop" While the Turkey Cooks

Starting early on Thanksgiving morning, customers can shop on Walmart.com for some of the Black Friday deals that will also be available in stores. Customers can also take advantage of hundreds of online specials on Thanksgiving and Black Friday while supplies last. Some of the deals include:

Apple iPad® 2 with Bluetooth speaker and accessory kit - $349 (nearly $75 savings)
Kids' 3 Piece License Character Pajama and Robe Set (includes Disney, Marvel characters) - $14 (special buy)
Samsung® 40" Class LED 1080p 60Hz HDTV - $379 (nearly $50 savings)
Proscan 7" Tablet with Keyboard Case - $49 (special buy)
Wooden Activity Table with 45-Piece Train Set & Storage Bin - $49 ($20 savings)
Xbox 360™ with Camouflage Controller - $139 ($90 savings)

Black Friday Advice from the Pros

Customers can plan out their whole shopping trip at Walmart.com/BlackFriday and find tips on gift-giving and special deal maps for Black Friday. Walmart has also created more than 100 short videos on Walmart.com and YouTube that give customers a chance to research the hot products ahead of Black Friday.

Learn more about Walmart's deals for Black Friday and throughout the entire holiday season by signing up for Walmart's emails, liking the retailer on Facebook and downloading the mobile app.

Editor's Notes:

Store Hours: Opening hours may vary due to local laws. Customers should check with their local stores to confirm event opening times. Prices and items may vary in Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico.

Wristbands: Number of wristbands available for each item is limited to the quantity available. Customers who receive a wristband will have reserved that item and can continue to shop.

One-Hour Guarantee: Limit one per customer, per item. If any of these items do sell out in the first hour, Walmart will offer a Guarantee Card for the item, ensuring that the product will be shipped to their store before Christmas. Guarantee Cards must be registered by 11:59 p.m. CT, Sunday, Dec. 1, 2013. If it is not registered the card will become a standard Walmart Gift Card loaded with the amount of the Black Friday item purchase price.

About Walmart

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (WMT) helps people around the world save money and live better – anytime and anywhere – in retail stores, online, and through their mobile devices. Each week, more than 245 million customers and members visit our more than 11,000 stores under 69 banners in 27 countries and e-commerce websites in 10 countries. With fiscal year 2013 sales of approximately $466 billion, Walmart employs more than 2.2 million associates worldwide. Walmart continues to be a leader in sustainability, corporate philanthropy and employment opportunity. Additional information about Walmart can be found by visiting corporate.walmart.com, on Facebook at facebook.com/walmart and on Twitter at twitter.com/walmartnewsroom. Online merchandise sales are available at www.walmart.com and www.samsclub.com.

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