52There is still some time until Black Friday 2026, but holiday shopping competition among retailers is already heating up.
On October 26 local time, Walmart announced that this year it will launch three rounds of major holiday promotions from November 12 to December 2, covering Black Friday early-bird deals, the Black Friday sale, and Cyber Monday, respectively.
Rather than a discount event concentrated on Black Friday itself, Walmart is splitting the holiday shopping season into multiple phases, giving consumers more time to choose products and offering more discount opportunities for different shopping needs.
In addition to the promotion schedule, Walmart has also launched a combined membership package for Walmart+ and Sam's Club Plus, seeking to further enhance consumers' shopping experience through price discounts, delivery services, and membership benefits.
Image source: walmart
Three rounds of promotions launch in succession, heating up the Black Friday shopping season early
According to information released by Walmart, this year's holiday sales are divided into three phases, with different online and offline activity times.
Round 1: Black Friday early-bird deals, November 12-15.
Round 2: Black Friday deals, November 23-29.
Round 3: Cyber Monday promotions, November 30-December 2.
From the schedule, Walmart's three rounds of promotions this year cover a total of 14 days. Consumers can shop for gifts in advance and continue looking for deals around Black Friday, without having to concentrate all shopping needs on a single day.
In terms of products, Walmart said it will offer thousands of discounted items this year, covering holiday gifts, toys, clothing, beauty products, home goods, and daily necessities, among others.
Image source: walmart
For $120, enjoy two membership services at once
In addition to the three rounds of promotions, membership services are also part of Walmart's holiday season strategy this year.
On October 20, Walmart announced the launch of a combined membership package for Walmart+ and Sam's Club Plus. Consumers can pay $120 per year to receive both membership services at the same time. Walmart said that compared with purchasing the two membership services separately, this package can save nearly $100.
Among them, Sam's Club Plus members can earn 2% Sam's Cash back on eligible pre-tax in-store purchases, with a maximum of $750 back every 12 months.
This package is not just a discount launched temporarily for Black Friday. It combines Walmart's everyday retail and delivery services with Sam's Club's warehouse-style shopping, allowing consumers to use both sets of services according to different needs.
For families that already have daily shopping, bulk shopping, or delivery needs, the appeal of the combined membership may come not only from holiday promotions but also from the overall value of using it year-round.
Image source: walmart
For cross-border sellers focusing on the U.S. market, the schedule announced by Walmart also provides a time reference worth noting: preparations for holiday consumption have entered a critical stage. Sellers need to take into account their own product procurement cycles, inventory conditions, and target consumer groups when reasonably arranging stocking and marketing rhythms, rather than betting all resources on Black Friday itself.
As Walmart's three rounds of promotions launch one after another, competition in this year's U.S. holiday shopping season will further unfold. Next, how consumers allocate their shopping budgets, which products are more popular, and what actual results retailers' promotional strategies can achieve are all worth continued observation.
