Walmart has announced that the first major wave of its 2026 Black Friday deals will go live at 12 a.m. ET on November 12, giving shoppers an early opportunity to find discounts on a range of major brands. Walmart+ members will once again get access before everyone else, an advantage that could matter for items likely to sell out quickly.
The early-November event reflects a broader shift in holiday retail. Black Friday itself falls on November 27 this year, but retailers increasingly spread their promotions across several events rather than concentrating them into a single weekend. That approach gives customers more chances to find deals before the traditional peak shopping day arrives, and it has become a familiar part of the holiday shopping calendar.
Walmart's holiday sales have previously included restocks of hard-to-find Pokémon trading card game products and discounts on gaming accessories. The company has not yet said which categories will be featured in the coming wave, so shoppers will have to wait for the full lineup to see what makes the cut.
Best Buy has also published its own sale calendar. Its "Door BOOsters" sale runs from October 30 through November 1, and its early Black Friday sale starts on November 6. Taken together, the two retailers' schedules show how the holiday promotion period is being stretched across much of the autumn, with several sale windows opening well before the final weekend of November.
IGN's shopping team, which says it has more than 30 years of combined experience finding discounts, preorders and new product drops online, advises against rushing into every offer that catches the eye. The outlet predicts that the best offers on gaming, technology and entertainment will likely arrive later in the month, from about November 18 to 22, and suggests that patient shoppers may find better prices by waiting. Early sales from Walmart and Best Buy could still turn up worthwhile bargains, the publication noted, but it expects further and potentially better discounts as Black Friday approaches.
IGN says it will publish a rundown of the best Black Friday deals as they go live. Readers who want updates from its team during the sales period can sign up for its IGN Deals newsletter, set IGN as a preferred source in Google, follow its Amazon storefront, or follow its Finds accounts on X, Instagram and Facebook.