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BigJim is right...Last year was new to Walmart. I work for Walmart and work with the planning for "The Event" as WM likes to call it now. Planning SHOULD (I say should because it's up to management) have begun in late September. Basically, most of you have mentioned it and hit it on the head: 24-Hour Stores will of course be open. You can wander around and buy anything except doorbusters. This year WM will have a sale that also starts at Midnight. You can pick up those items and buy them or just keep them in your cart. At 5am, the doorbusters will be released for sale. Doorbusters will be marked with giant numbered helium/mylar balloons. Each store SHOULD have maps telling customers what number belongs to what item. Customers will line up in the numbered line they choose and will be given wristbands and a number. That number will guarantee you a doorbuster item. Each doorbuster has a tight inventory count/associated with a wristband. So, there will only be wristbands given out for the exact number of items for that line. The lines should be spaced enough to avoid clumping in a certain area. TVs in the automotive bays (or garden center), computers in grocery, etc. I'm not familiar with the planning for the non-24 hour stores, but I have heard they will open at 12:01am on Black Friday. That's all I am aware of on those stores. Now I would talk (if at all possible to a store manager). Many store managers try to follow what is asked of them by corporate but some managers have their own take on certain instructions (which is why some stores seem to be chaotic and unorganized). I don't know why this occurs because there is a pretty well laid out plan for Black Friday and it's pretty self explanatory in my opinion. I think it just boils down to the fact some stores care more than other stores about how it goes down. I think for the most part, the new system works when people know what's going on and management informs customers as well. With 8,400 stores and growing, I'm sure there are a few glitches in some areas.

Just stumbled across this by accident, Use code "GIVE" at checkout and receive your $25 restaurant gift card for just $2. This deal runs only until November 15, 2010 at www.restaurants.com. Great for date nights and maybe even an after shopping meal! Enjoy!

Big Jim, The sad thing is Walmart does a better job NOW then they ever did educating employees on things like this. But from working there, I have noticed it is in one ear and out the other with most of them. I watched an associate the other day get asked by a customer, "Do you guys carry Fruit Loops?" (Keep in mind this is a SuperCenter), and the associate replied, "I'm not sure, I don't normally work in grocery". I can't believe that stuff. Half of the employees today didn't even know we had an electronics sale!

All their in-store promos for this event say sale starts at 8am...might be some upset customers.

Big Jim, you're correct. I work for WM and heard that rumor this summer. However, most stores converted layaway to the Site to Store area. Our store is do a remodel this year and they're combining Site to Store with the photo lab. It takes a lot of logistics and planning to reinstate layaway. Most stores just don't have the space any more. I have always thought they should just do an online layaway type thing. Once you pay for your items in full it ships directly to site to store...just my two cents.

I work for Walmart and I about peed my pants when I saw amood06's letter to Walmart. I always laugh at the Rollbacks with other associates. There was one on a mountain bike this year...Was: $88, Now: $87...I try and take pictures of all the dumb Rollbacks with my phone. I think it's almost insulting to even show those to customers. I think they got a little smarter over the past few weeks, I've seen them offering $20,40,80, and even 250 gift cards with purchases of some items. But, the rollbacks are a joke most of the time. As far as the BF ad, I thought I saw it in the store last year about this time...I guess it depends on the printing company they use.

Ok, I hope I don't come across rude or snotty... I work for Walmart. It really bothers me how some associates get on this and give inaccurate information to potential customers. It also bothers me that this information is often portrayed as fact. Over the past few years, Walmart has made an extensive effort to clean up its "Black Friday" image. Extensive educational material is often available to associates on what our plan for Black Friday is. However, I have often found that many managers simply DO NOT pass this info on to associates, which in turn give bad information to our customers. With that said, here is what is happening this year... Walmart has faced increasingly stiff competition from other retailers over the past few years. Walmart is trying to go on the offensive this year. Walmart will still hold its annual Black Friday sale starting at 5am as it always does with doorbusters and hot deals. That will not change, nor will it ever. This year, however, Walmart is going to try and lure in more customers by offering a sale that will start at 12:01am on Black Friday. This is in response to competitors over the past few years trying to go earlier and earlier on their sales (malls opening at midnight, JCP and others opening at 4am, etc). Now, with all of that said, some of Danigirl55's post was a bit accurate, though not completely. I just think she was confusing the main 5am sale, with other information we have received. Walmart, in order to prevent any fatalities from occuring as did a few years back, is doing what it did last year. 24-hour stores will of course be open. (I will admit there still is confusion on the non-24 hour stores, so I'm not going to give any info on those stores). Walmart will have its Black Friday doorbusters spaced with line-up points around the store (marked with large helium balloons). These lines will be for the hot, limited quantity doorbusters like the TVs, laptops, etc. Last year there was a ton of confusion at the store-level as to how the lines would operate. Some stores let you line up as early as you could get there at the numbered balloons and once you got a wrist-band you could wander around until you were ready to pay, the wrist-band guaranteed you would get an item (the wristband quantity matched the store inventory). Then, some managers made customers stay in line at one item until 5am and many missed out on other items. As much as it was cleaned up and better organized from previous years it often ended up a day-of decision by store managers. Wow, I didn't really mean to type that much! Bottom line... TWO SALES THIS YEAR ON BF. One, starts at 12:01am and one starts at 5am (traditional BF sale). I hope that helps.