Walmart black friday strategy?? 12am? 5am?

[sunshine girl]

My mom wants to go to Walmart on Black Friday to attempt to buy a laptop. I have never involved myself in the Black Friday chaos -- to me its worth a lot of extra $$ to avoid it, but she really wants to try.

So, besides the fact that I'm quite literally terrified of being crushed by the crowds....

How does it work that the doors open at 12:01AM but the electronics sale doesn't start until 5am? I don't get how they're going to do this. If you get there at midnight, find the laptop you want and put it in your cart, then do you just hang out until 5am to purchase it? Or will they rope off the electronics section until 5am?

 

[JB2K]

How does it work that the doors open at 12:01AM but the electronics sale doesn't start until 5am?

Doors? What doors?? Walmart is a 24-hour store.

I don't get how they're going to do this. If you get there at midnight, find the laptop you want and put it in your cart, then do you just hang out until 5am to purchase it?

Not quite -- Since WM will be open for business, they will have pallets containing all the "doorbuster" merchandise under dark plastic wrapping (and under the watchful eye of a WM Associate).

From last year's experience, prospective shoppers will start forming lines around the merchandise after dinnertime on Thanksgiving Day.

Or will they rope off the electronics section until 5am?

No -- this is also a good time to mention at the big-box stores (WM, Target), none of the "doorbusters" are in their usual departments -- they are positioned along the racetrack floor at various points throughout the store.

Walmart has your local store's Black Friday map available at Walmart.com -- make sure you jump on this, right-away!

 

[Kitzka]

I'm not sure how they are doing it this year but last year they had maps on the website of where the hot door buster items would be in each store. DH went to get a $97 DS and had to hang out in that area until 5am when they gave the items out. THEN you could go check out.

I seem to recall some stores gave out tickets but you had to stay in the store until 5am and others did not give out tickets but numbers but you had to stay in your area until 5am when they gave the items out. I think you were allowed a short break to use the facilities.

Hope others chime in.

lara

 

[lucas43068]

nothing will be in the electronics section first of all, check out walmart.com for a map of where everything will be (doorbusters that is) and you will want to get there as soon as possible, last year people lined up around 9 the night before.
not worth it IMHO, but people are crazy about getting crappy electronics for cheap.

 

[An_Island_Girl]

Our Wal-Mart is not a 24 hour store, and they are closed on Thanksgiving day.
So yes, they will open the doors at midnight here.

 

[MomToOne]

Doors? What doors?? Walmart is a 24-hour store.

The Walmarts in my area are not 24 hour stores.

 

[JB2K]

The Walmarts in my area are not 24 hour stores.

But they most certainly are in Florida, which is where OP was speaking of?

 

[Belle0101]

But they most certainly are in Florida, which is where OP was speaking of?

I don't know the why of it but here, Indiana, we have a Wal-Mart that is not open 24 hours. Yet 20 min. down the road is one that is open 24 hours.

I've heard that at one of the Wal-Marts near us is going to use the ticket system this year. I'm not sure about the others.

Conceivably, all the big ticket items could be "gone" before 12:30AM. It's just that you couldn't actually buy it or put it in your cart until 5AM.

 

[hurleysweety]

From all the stories I've heard, lines form early and crowds are always bigger than expected.

That said, I don't get the whole midnight/5 AM thing either. Let's pretend I'm smart but not internet savvy (as in I haven't read thread upon thread of black friday deals and all those black friday websites), but I do know that I want a certain electronic item. So I show up at 3 AM(thinking I'm smart at 2 hours early for the electronics sale), and all the tickets are gone...this is where I don't understand the marketing strategy of Walmart. All the commercials have told "me" that the sale starts at 5AM, so how can it be sold-out at 3?

How many people just end up tired, frustrated, and without any purchases every year?

And then, how many not-so-smart people just luck out and happen to be standing next to the $98 tv set and manage to grab one at 5 AM or get a ticket first since they are wandering over by the power tools section and just happen to ask the employee what they are "guarding"? Oh, the joys of Christmas shopping...

 

[kymmyk13]

I bought the laptop they had on sale last year online. I think you can start purchasing the items online at 3 am EST.

 

[kalliyan1]

We got a laptop last year. They were located in the sporting goods section but unlike the blu rays and other "pallet" items, the computers were being handed to the people in line and you had to check out right there. They did come around a couple hours prior to the official start time to hand out tickets so people knew whether or not they were getting one. You still had to remain in line even if you had a ticket

 

[momof1princess]

ok, about the wal-mart map...is it just that one page with the tv's? because whenever i click on the map, all i get is one page full of tv's, a GPS and laptop. are those the only things that are moved?

 

[Tink-n-MrIncredible]

My WM is also a 24hour store, they will close on Thanksgiving Day and reopen at midnight

The year I bought my laptops they had them behind the sales counter in electronics, you had to pay for it right there on the spot and it was first come first serve as far as who was in line first.

 

[MinnieLove]

Local WM is a 24 hr store. LY we arrived about 230 am and although the sales could not be paid for b4 5 am, this did not stop the shoppers from getting into the pallets. Many of the items were gone at 230 and the checkout lines were to the back of the store. Personally I will try to get my items on line this year. I would suggest arriving much earlier if going into the store. Good luck!

 

[Diabolicdesire]

ok, about the wal-mart map...is it just that one page with the tv's? because whenever i click on the map, all i get is one page full of tv's, a GPS and laptop. are those the only things that are moved?

No, most things come on palates and are in the isles somewhere. It just really depends on what the item is. Example, last year the vaccuums at our store were on a palate near cosmetics but the perfume that was on sale was in the regular place. Plus our maps weren't right last year and the sales people kept sending us to the wrong place. Best thing to do is get there super early and scope out what u want.

 

[JB2K]

I don't know the why of it but here, Indiana, we have a Wal-Mart that is not open 24 hours. Yet 20 min. down the road is one that is open 24 hours.

I think the main difference is the Discount Stores vs. Supercenters (in my area, we have some of each -- including a couple of late 70's vintage WM Discount Stores).

Or, it could be a law in the town where that particular store is located -- WM has to deal with certain restrictions in some of the communities where they operate.

Time was, all Walmarts were closed on Thanksgiving Day - then, the "Long Island Incident" in 2008 changed all that.

I've heard that at one of the Wal-Marts near us is going to use the ticket system this year. I'm not sure about the others.

I haven't heard of WM using a ticket system (you may want to call and check on that) -- if they open at 12:30 a.m. where you are, I would imagine those coming for the high-end electronics will immediately form a line at the merchandise pallet, while others in their party will cruise the store for other deals...

 

[tavettava]

Our store is a 24 hr but closes for Thanksgiving and doesn't open its doors until 5am.

 

[sunshine girl]

Holy cow. Thanks for the info, everyone. I don't think we're gonna do it! I am willing to try it online, though.

 

[kaytieeldr]

ok, about the wal-mart map...is it just that one page with the tv's? because whenever i click on the map, all i get is one page full of tv's, a GPS and laptop. are those the only things that are moved?

Yes, those items on that page are the items that are moved. At the store near where I work, a tv stand is also on the map.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Holy cow. Thanks for the info, everyone. I don't think we're gonna do it! I am willing to try it online, though.

Not everything is available online. Check the ad now. By clicking on each item you want, a box opens with information about the item - including whether it's available online. Some tvs are, some aren't; most of the computers aren't; some of the other stuff I want is...

Bluntly, the two cheapest computers, the ones available instore only? Eh. You get what you pay for. Once you move up to the next level, the $399 computer with the better processor, a LOT of stores have comparable or better laptops this weekend.