What is holiday shopping going to look like this year? I'm going to guess that online sales will see the biggest numbers in holiday shopping history as people stay away from crowds and make purchases from the comforts of home. We still need to wait for many of the details to fall into place - but Walmart made the picture a bit clearer as they announced what shoppers can expect to see over the next couple of months.

We already knew many retailers would be closing the doors on Thanksgiving this year. Walmart was the first big company to announce they would break away from the normal practice of having major Black Friday sales begin on Turkey Day. It didn't take long for Best Buy, Kohl's, Target and others to follow Walmart's lead and allow employees to have the holiday off this year.

The latest announcement from Walmart addresses the fact that this will be no normal holiday shopping season. The news that earlier deals and more online shopping options will be coming our way should help to stretch out the savings and allow shoppers ample time and options for holiday purchases. They didn't give us much for exact details of the expanded Black Friday experience - Walmart said further info will be coming soon. A KPAX article quotes Walmart's executive vice president and chief merchandising officer as saying “We’ve heard from our customers that many plan on starting their holiday shopping well before Black Friday and that they’re looking for gifts that fit their current lifestyle, so, we’ve adjusted our strategy to adapt to these new shopping preferences – we’re offering more of what they want now, earlier than ever, and all at the best prices.”

I've been to Walmart during the pandemic and seen a lot of items out of stock. For a while you couldn't find a bike in the store. And just last weekend we were looking for small weights for my wife and there wasn't a single one to be found on the entire rack. The good news is Walmart says they'll be increasing stock on the most sought-after products including bikes, sporting equipment, exercise equipment, TV's, laptops, video games, toys, games, and more for the holiday season.

The same great deals - only earlier in the year? So far it all sound good. We'll have to see what Walmart and the other retailers have to offer when plans get finalized a little closer to the holidays.

KEEP READING: These Major Retailers Will Be Closed on Thanksgiving 2020

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