Black Friday shopping secrets: How to get deals on TVs, toys and cell phones at Walmart

NerdWallet is compiling its top tips for how to win Black Friday, while leaving your budget intact. Today’s report looks at the nation’s largest retailer Walmart. Black Friday is Nov. 29.

Walmart Black Friday store hours

At Walmart, the Black Friday event starts in stores at 6 p.m. local time on Thanksgiving, Nov. 28. But hours may vary by location, so check with your local store ahead of time.

Online, Walmart’s Black Friday event begins at 10 p.m. Eastern time on Wednesday, Nov. 27. That’s the day before Thanksgiving.

Walmart Black Friday deals 2019

It’s no surprise that Walmart’s Black Friday ad is packed with savings on TVs, toys, video games, cell phones, vacuums and Christmas decorations.

The discount giant has posted a 37-page Black Friday ad online (input your ZIP code and select your local store). But if you’d rather save yourself some time, check out our analysis of the ad’s biggest deals.

We carefully looked through all of the pages and pulled out some of the most worthwhile bargains. Our picks include:

• Philips 65-inch Class 4K Android Smart TV for $278.
• Get up to $700 in e-gift cards with qualified activation and trade-in on select Apple and Samsung smartphones. This offer requires a device payment plan and is available in stores only. See store for details.
• Apple Watch Series 3 (GPS) 38mm for $129 (was $199).
• Oculus Go Virtual Reality 32GB Headset for $149 (was $199).
• Google Home Mini for $19 (was $25) and bonus $5 Vudu credit.
• Select video games for $15 each.
• Over 50 movie titles for $1.96 each.
• Instant Pot 6-Qt. Duo for $49 (was $79).
• Select small kitchen appliances for $9.96 each.
• Dyson V7 Motorhead Stick Vacuum for $179 (was $224).
• Select toys and board games for $5 each.
• Select giant plush stuffed animals for $20 each.
• Select sleepwear sets for $4.75 each.

Act quickly because many deals are available while supplies last. If you see a deal you like within the Walmart ad, click on it for full redemption details and instructions.

What to skip at Walmart

Now that we know what Walmart’s Black Friday deals will look like, start shopping around. Black Friday ads have also been released from stores such as Costco, Target, Best Buy and Kohl’s. Once you set your sights on an item you want, look around to see which store will have the best price.

Additionally, be leery. Walmart marked many deals in the ad as a “special buy” with a single price listed. Without a comparison of the sale price to an original price, you’re left to do some price comparison research on your own.

How to save money at Walmart

Shopping at Walmart requires strategy. If you want to locate the big bargains quickly, get a color-coded store map in the Walmart app or at Walmart.com. This will help you navigate to the right part of the building during the event.

Walmart Black Friday deals 2018

In 2018, Walmart’s Black Friday sale began well before Black Friday. Online shoppers started snagging deals on Wednesday, Nov. 21, at 10 p.m. Eastern time, while in-store shoppers grabbed discounts beginning at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 22.

Spread out over more than two dozen pages, Walmart’s Black Friday ad contained big savings on TVs, laptops, cameras, smartphones, clothing, toys and even tires. The discount giant recommended that shoppers use the Walmart app to locate items in the store.

The standout deals included:

• Hisense 40-inch class 1080p TV for $99.
• Sony PS4 1TB Slim Spider-Man bundle for $199.
• Over 110 movie titles for $1.96 each.
• Select kitchen items, such as a waffle maker and griddle, for $9.96 each.
• Select kids’ character sleep sets for $4.75 each.

But not every deal was a doorbuster. Some savings were lackluster, with products discounted by only a few dollars.

Courtney Jespersen is a writer at NerdWallet. Email: courtney@nerdwallet.com. Twitter: @CourtneyNerd. This article originally appeared on NerdWallet as How to Get the Best Walmart Black Friday 2019 Deals.