Walmart Has Unveiled Its Holiday Plans. Here’s What Shoppers Can Expect

Walmart is encouraging its shoppers to get a head start on their holiday shopping. The retail giant has just announced its holiday plans, and shoppers can expect more sales than ever before. Let’s take a look at what the retailer has announced, so far, for the upcoming fall months.

Walmart Announces Shopping Deals & Affordable Meals

A press release announcement revealed that beginning in October, Walmart will provide customers with savings leading up to the holidays. These savings will include the company’s first Holiday Deals event of the year and the return of its inflation-free holiday feast, which will arrive weeks ahead of schedule.

“We know many of our customers are beginning to prepare for their holiday celebrations early, and we’ve adapted our approach to best meet their needs,” said Latriece Watkins, executive vice president and chief merchandising officer, in a statement accompanying the release “We’ve worked hard to lower prices across our most exciting assortment ever, and we’re thrilled to give customers more of what they want this holiday — more time to prepare and more opportunities to save all season long.”

Consumers don’t have to wait until November to take advantage of some of the greatest discounts on the hottest Christmas goods. From Oct. 8 through 13, Walmart will host its first Holiday Deals event, offering some of the best bargains of the year on toys, clothes, electronics, homes, and more from both its flagship store and Marketplace affiliates.

Walmart+ members have exclusive early access to shop the most-wanted deals, 12 hours before anyone else, starting on Oct. 8 at midnight ET on the website and the app. Beginning on Oct. 8 at noon ET, all other customers who don’t have the premier subscription can shop the Walmart Holiday Deals event on Walmart.com and the app. The excitement will continue in-store on Oct. 9 at the local store’s opening time.

Walmart’s Holiday Deals event also lines up with Amazon’s Big Deal Days on Oct. 8 and 9.

Next Phase of Its Transformation

This is just the latest phase of the retail giant’s transformation, as it continues its fight to remain on top of its game.

Back in July, Walmart announced that it is modernizing and streamlining its supermarket network. The corporation is building five brand-new, state-of-the-art perishable distribution centers in Texas, Illinois, California, New Jersey, and South Carolina. These projects are anticipated to improve supply chain capabilities and create about 2,000 new jobs.

Walmart also intends to increase fresh product capacity by automating four of its current perishable distribution sites in Minnesota, North Carolina, Indiana, and Tennessee. This adds “over 500,000 square feet of automation per site to increase capacity for fresh product,” according to the retailer’s estimation.

In addition, the corporation is integrating cutting-edge technology into existing buildings, such as the one in Winter Haven, Florida, to optimize grocery operations comparable to its ambient distribution center in Brooksville, Florida. By doing this, more of Walmart’s locations for perishable goods will be technologically up to speed.

With this technological investment, Walmart hopes to significantly boost processing speed and storage capacity, improving its ability to efficiently and reliably satisfy the demands of its expanding consumer base.

The corporation is focused on the beneficial effects on employment roles in its announcement, changing jobs into higher-tech professions that provide better job satisfaction and opportunities for professional advancement. Walmart believes that technology can be used to improve the lives of its employees. As the reason behind this shift, the retailer explained that “technology is evolving physically demanding jobs into roles where associates are operating and maintaining high-tech systems, leading to an improved quality of life.”

The news release further noted that “associates who used to manually stack cases may work in a high-tech facility as an automation equipment operator and continue growing their career as an automation control center operator, automation technician or automation area manager. Plus, associates who have transitioned into these new roles tell us they are more enjoyable and satisfying, while also often resulting in higher base pay.”