When I first started working at Walmart in 1997, Black Friday felt like the ultimate event in retail. Customers lined up in the cold hours before dawn, clutching newspapers with ads circled in red ink. When the doors opened at 6 a.m., the excitement was electric, carts rushing down aisles, families comparing notes on what to grab first, and the hum of the crowd filling the store.
This event officially kicked off the holiday season.
Nearly 30 years later, I now manage a Walmart in Southern Nevada, and while the excitement remains, the experience looks very different. What used to be a single morning of frenzied shopping has evolved into a weekslong celebration, a mix of in-store visits and online deals. But at its heart, it’s still about families coming together to prepare for the holidays and make memories.
Changing the clock
In those early years, Black Friday ran from 6-11 a.m., a five-hour sprint that took weeks of planning. Over time, the start time crept earlier, first to midnight, then to Thanksgiving evening. Those were the years when families would finish dinner and head straight to the store for deals.
Today, sales begin Friday morning and continue all day. The change has made the experience smoother for everyone. Customers no longer have to sacrifice Thanksgiving dinner to shop, and associates get to spend the holiday with loved ones before returning ready to create a great experience. It feels more balanced for both the people shopping and those of us working to make the day special.
What shoppers still love
Some things are just timeless. Every year, customers come for electronics, toys and home goods. In the late ’90s, they lined up for DVD players and boxy televisions. Today, it’s 65-inch smart TVs for a fraction of what a 32-inch once cost. Technology keeps improving, prices keep dropping, and the excitement never fades.
Even with all the convenience of online shopping, there’s still something special about being in the store, enjoying the holiday energy, tradition, and excitement you can’t find anywhere else.
The online shift
Black Friday has grown from a single morning of doorbusters into a full week of savings, with in-store deals lasting several days and online discounts starting early and continuing through Cyber Monday.
Walmart has also changed how customers receive their purchases. Whether it’s curbside pickup, same-day delivery or Express Delivery, shoppers can get what they need faster and easier than ever before. These options let families enjoy incredible savings while on the go or staying cozy at home.
For associates, the growth of online orders adds new coordination behind the scenes, with teams dedicated to pickups and deliveries. The result is a seamless blend of digital convenience and in-store enthusiasm, ensuring that whether you’re shopping from your couch or visiting your local store, you’ll find the same value, service and holiday spirit that define Walmart’s Black Friday tradition.
The heart of the season
I’ve watched Black Friday evolve from paper ads and midnight openings to the seamless digital experience we offer today. Through it all, one thing has never changed: the excitement of helping families prepare for the holidays. And as a store manager here in Nevada, this season will always be one of my favorites, not because of the rush, but because of what it represents: community, celebration and the joy of giving.
Michael Yturralde is a store manager at a WalMart in Henderson.