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Originally Published: Oct 21, 2020
Originally Published: Oct 21, 2020 Last Updated: Nov 12, 2020 9 min read
Courtesy of Walmart

Walmart is always a huge player on Black Friday. And in 2020, Walmart isn't limiting its Black Friday deals to one day — or even two or three. Instead, Walmart is rolling out a series of "Black Friday" sales strung out over nearly a month.

The first deals launched online at Walmart on Wednesday, November 4 — one day after the national election, just a few days after Halloween, and more than four weeks before the actual Black Friday (November 27). A second round of early Black Friday sales kicks off online on November 11.

Why such an early start? As with so many things in 2020, the explanation comes down to: COVID-19. Normally, Walmart and other retailers cram their best deals around Thanksgiving, to create a buying frenzy in crowded stores. But no one wants stores to be crowded during a pandemic.

So Walmart is one of many retailers shifting gears this year. Sales will be spread out over the course of several weeks, so there's no need for everybody to pack in on one particular day to snag a deal. There will be a much greater emphasis on online deals too — again, all to help ease crowds and maintain social distancing. The 2020 holiday buying season unofficially began in mid-October, with the arrival of Amazon Prime Day, and it'll basically remain in full swing through New Year's.

Even with the changes, Walmart's upcoming sales will feature many of the staples shoppers have come to expect on Black Friday. Incredibly cheap TV deals, for example, are standard fare for Black Friday, and Walmart doesn't disappoint this year. There ar≈ˆe also great deals coming up on AirPods, Instant Pots, Chromebook laptops, and more.

Walmart Black Friday Deals: When Do They Start?

For the 2020 holiday shopping season, Walmart is hosting what it calls "Black Friday Deals for Days."

A more accurate name would have been Deals for Weeks. And there isn't going to be much reason to physically go to stores this year. The first of these "Black Friday" deals go live — exclusively online — at 7 p.m. ET on Wednesday, November 4. That's when "doorbuster"-style deals go on sale, such as an onn. 42" Roku Smart TV for $88 and Apple AirPods for $99.

[UPDATE: In addition to the Black Friday sales Walmart announced in advance, there have been some surprise deals popping up as well. For example, starting on Sunday, November 8, Walmart began selling Apple AirPods Pros for $194. Amazon matched the $194 AirPods Pro deal, which is the lowest price we've seen.]

These online sales were followed by a fresh round of deals launching in stores on Saturday, November 7, at 5 a.m. local time. Yet another slew of deals goes on sale at Walmart.com at 7 p.m. ET on Wednesday, November 11, and then there will be even more deals live in stores starting first thing on the morning of Saturday, November 14.

Mind you, the "real" Black Friday takes place about two weeks after this, on November 27. It's around this time that a third major round of Walmart sales kicks off, starting online at 7 p.m. ET on Wednesday, November 25 — the day before Thanksgiving. Walmart stores are closed on Thanksgiving Day itself this year, but they'll be open for shoppers starting at 5 a.m. locally on the official Black Friday 2020.

Walmart Black Friday Ad 2020: What Are the Best Deals?

So far, the 2020 Walmart Black Friday ads include only a partial list of deals for the first two weeks of sales. Among the best of the bunch is a 55" TCL 4K Roku Smart TV for $148 — the brand often tops Amazon's bestseller list, and similar models list for over $300 — as well as 50% off Instant Pots and a Roomba robot vacuum for $177.

Look for Amazon in particular to match Walmart's deals, or perhaps even try to steal Walmart's thunder with bigger discounts or sales that start even earlier. For example, on Wednesday, Nov. 4, a few hours before Walmart's $99 AirPods deal was set to go live, Amazon introduced its own $99 AirPods sale.

Here's a selection of Walmart's best deals, and when they officially go on sale.

Walmart Deals: Wednesday, November 4

The sales below went live — online only — starting at 7 p.m. ET on November 4, and they are still available for shoppers. (Some of the early deals are already sold out or expired; see below if you're interested.) Other retailers (namely, Amazon) are likely to match some of these prices. So if you can't find items in stock at Walmart, take a moment to browse other stores to see if you can scoop up the deals there.

Also, while some of the deals below are expiring within a few days of going live, others appear to be available indefinitely during the holiday shopping season.

• Shark Navigator Upright Vacuum: $98 (list price $199)

Courtesy of Walmart

• Hoover WindTunnel XL Pet Bagless Upright Vacuum: $48 (list price $89)

Courtesy of Walmart

New Walmart Deals: Wednesday, November 11

A new round of sales kicked off online at 7 p.m. ET on November 11, with deals like these:

Lenovo Ideapad 3: $149

Courtesy of Walmart

• Jbl Flip Essential Portable Wireless Bluetooth Speaker: $50

Courtesy of Walmart

• Shark IQ Robot Vacuum R100: $199 (list price $299)

Courtesy of Walmart

• Tineco A10 Dash Cordless Vacuum: $99 (list price $149)

Courtesy of Walmart

• onn. True Wireless Earphones: $14 (list price $19.88)

Courtesy of Walmart

• Intex Queen 15" Dura-Beam Airbed Mattress With Built-in Pump: $34 (list price $58)

Courtesy of Walmart

New Deals: Saturday, November 14

Starting at 5 a.m. locally in stores and online on November 14, Walmart shoppers can check out deals such as these:

• Keurig K-Compact Single-Serve K-Cup Pod Coffee Maker: $35 (list price $59)

Courtesy of Walmart

• Shark Rocket PRO Cordless Stick Vacuum IZ140: $139 (list price $249)

Courtesy of Walmart

Shoppers can look forward to even more deals from Walmart starting Wednesday, November 25. We'll update this story with details as they're made public.

Walmart Black Friday Sales: Expired or Sold out

• TCL 55" 4K UHD DVR Roku Smart TV: $148

Courtesy of Walmart

• HP 14" 2-in-1 Touch Teal Chromebook: $179 (list price $299)

Courtesy of Walmart

• onn. 50" 4K UHD Roku Smart TV: $128

Courtesy of Walmart

Apple AirPods With Wired Charging Case: $99 at Walmart or Amazon (list price $144)

Courtesy of Walmart

• HP Pavilion 15.6" Horizon Blue Laptop: $379 (list price $539)

Courtesy of Walmart

• Instant Pot VIVA 6-Quart 9-in-1 Multicooker: $49 (list price $99.99)

Courtesy of Walmart

• Anker Eufy RobotVac: $99 (list price $149)

Courtesy of Walmart

• RCA Home Theater Projector: $49 (list price $79)

Courtesy of Walmart

• JLab Audio Studio ANC On-Ear Wireless Headphones: $30 (list price $59.88)

Courtesy of Walmart

• JLab Audio Go Air True Wireless Earbuds: $20 (list price $29.88)

Courtesy of Walmart

• onn. 42" FHD Roku Smart TV: $88 (in-store only, where available)

Courtesy of Walmart

• iRobot Roomba 670 Robot Vacuum Wi-Fi: $177 (list price $244)

Courtesy of Walmart

• onn. 65" 4K UHD Roku Smart TV: $228 (on back order)

Courtesy of Walmart

• L.O.L. Surprise Bigger Surprise: $40 (list price $89)

Courtesy of Walmart

• Gourmia Digital French Door Air Fryer Toaster Oven: $49 (list price $89)

Courtesy of Walmart

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