Wal-Mart tempts customers with Black Friday deals on Thanksgiving night

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is moving its Black Friday deals even earlier this year as they are to start at 8 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day. The world’s largest retailer has announced three waves of deals this year and at the same time it has assured that all its clients will be able to get their Black Friday deals.

Holiday shopping season is coming to town

According to the company’s statement, this Black Friday holiday shopping rush is to start at 8 p.m. on Thanksgiving. This year’s Black Friday at Wal-Mart Stores will start two hours earlier than last year as the company attempts to lure customers during the most important time for all retailers.

The holiday shopping season is also critical for the world’s largest retailer as approximately a quarter of the company’s annual sales come during that period.  And this year retailers are expected to see small rise in holiday spending of customers. According to the National Retail Federation’s forecast, holiday shopping will climb about 4.1 percent, compared with a growth of about 5.6 percent in 2011. Therefore retailers, including Wal-Mart Stores Inc., are coming up with new and fresh ways to invite customers in.

The importance of holiday shopping season for retailers has been visible even before the decision to move Black Friday earlier this year. Just in September, Wal-Mart Stores Inc. started layaway program which allows its customers to keep a chosen item on hold and pay for it later. Toy catalogs have been already published by many retailers.

Retailers just want to take advantage of the holiday shopping season which traditionally starts on the day after Thanksgiving, known as Black Friday. Yet retailers have decided to start selling Christmas presents even earlier. Sellers explain this trend by underlying the fact the shoppers want to shop earlier; therefore they have to adjust to their customers’ needs and demands.

Only one year ago, several retailers such as Macy’s Inc., Kohl’s Corp. and Target Corp., etc. launched Black Friday at midnight for the first time in history. Some people believe that this new trend may soon replace Black Friday with Black Thursday as the unofficial beginning of the holiday shopping season.

Wal-Mart: Ready, set, buy!

Special holiday promotions at Wal-Mart stores will start at 8 p.m. on Thanksgiving. The company’s decision to open two hours earlier than last year was based on consumer feedback. Duncan MacNaughton, Wal-Mart’s chief merchandising officer, stated: “Our customers told us they wanted to shop earlier this year, and go to bed earlier,” adding that this year’s Black Friday deals at Wal-Mart Stores would be surprising and luring as the company got ready to play the game with its rivals.

The special offers at Wal-Mart will include Black Friday deals on from home goods through electronics to furniture. Black Friday at Wal-Mart will consist of three stages. First stage will begin at 8 p.m. and will include deals on toys, games and clothing as well. Second stage will start at 10 p.m. and will mainly focus on electronics. The last stage will start at 5 a.m. on Black Friday and it will include deals on, inter alia, jewelry, tires and furniture, etc.

As it has been reportedly stated by Wal-Mart Stores Inc.’s officials, the company guarantees that three devices will be available that night to customers standing in line in its store between 10 p.m. and 11 p.m. on Thanksgiving. Even though items, which are guaranteed by Wal-Mart Stores Inc., are not considered brand-new gadgets, certainly they will attract more customers to Wal-Mart Stores. The company’s clients are guaranteed to get  iPad 2 16GB with Wi-Fi for $399 plus a $75 gift card; 32-inch Emerson LCD TV for $148; and LG  Blu-ray player for only $38. If those products are sold out, the shoppers will get card for the chosen device which however has to be paid before midnight and register online as well. Duncan Mac Naughton has highlighted that the possibility of running out of stock straight away applies to other stores but Wal-Mart Stores. As someone once said: “Success comes in cans, not cannots.”