Walmart Unveils Its Black Friday Strategy
The retailer said it wants to make shopping less confusing.
— -- This holiday season, Walmart is trying to do away with the Black Friday mayhem of years past: think less fights and more cheers as you grab that big-screen TV!
For the first time ever, the Arkansas-based retailer has announced that most of its famous Black Friday doorbuster deals will be online starting at 12:01 a.m. PT Thanksgiving day.
The deals will be available at 6 p.m. local time on Thanksgiving day in Walmart's brick-and-mortar stores. Walmart will also be handing out wristbands to consumers for the most in-demand items.
"We know what customers are looking for and really it's a simplified, less confusing shopping experience," said Steve Bratspies, Walmart's chief merchandising officer. "And that's what we're going to deliver to them this year."
Walmart, one of the nation's largest retailers, has promised that there will be plenty of the most popular products available, including a 40-inch HDTV for $149 and an iPad Air 2 for $399.
Walmart isn't alone in the Black Friday battle. Target announced Monday that it would, for the first time ever, launch 10 days of Black Friday bargains.
Target will be offering different discounts every day, beginning the Sunday before Thanksgiving and shoppers will also be able to pre-order doorbusters. Best Buy said this week that eight of its Black Friday deals were already available for purchase.
"This is no Black Friday. We are about to attend the funeral for Black Friday," Mark Ellwood, author of "Bargain Fever," told ABC News recently. "Now it is a 'Black Month of Discounts.' This year stores are more desperate than ever...you will be astonished with the discounts that will come out."
ABC News' Rebecca Jarvis contributed to this story.