Walmart Black Friday Deals May Spark Outrage: Doorbuster Deals Dropped As Stores Open At Six


The Walmart Black Friday deals have been revealed, although the store is expected to change its methods a little. Until this year, there was a tradition of rolling out hourly Doorbuster deals, but the retail chain is planning to cancel those offers this year and see how it works.

[UPDATE] Check out our comparison guide for the Walmart, Best Buy, and Target deals by clicking this link.

There will be plenty of deals on everything from iPods to 4K TVs and from PlayStation 4 bundles to Fitbit, as previously reported by The Inquisitr. If you have the money to spare, Walmart is hoping to find a way to help you spend some.

The idea to eliminate the Doorbuster deals came as a response to other major retailers, including Target and Macy’s. Instead, everything is on sale the instant the doors open at 6 p.m. on Thanksgiving, according to USA Today.

Of course, this may also open the doors to employee outrage. 2015’s Walmart Black Friday deals will take more than the consumers’ money as many employees will likely be scheduled to work from the moment Thanksgiving dinner is cooked. Family get-togethers will once again suffer from the absence of those Walmart workers being forced to report to their store and set up the sales floor or prepare to handle a flood of consumers attempting to buy Christmas presents early.

Another factor that Walmart is planning to change about traditional Black Friday sales is the fact that 96 percent of their deals will now be available online starting at 3:01 a.m. Eastern Time (just after midnight Pacific), says CNBC. This might not work so well for them considering that only about 15 percent of Walmart consumers will stay loyal to the store when they have competing sites such as Best Buy, Amazon, and NewEgg to choose from. In fact, with Amazon’s $35 minimum for free shipping, Walmart could lose traffic as they stand their ground with their own $50 minimum.

Of course, with the possibility of getting all of their shopping done without dealing with the Walmart Black Friday deal crowds in person, or having to fight holiday traffic, they have the peace of mind that the driving and physical risk of injury over sales will be eliminated.

Michael Bender, Wal-Mart’s chief operating officer of global e-commerce, stated that their free shipping minimum being higher than others won’t matter. “It’s important for us to make sure that all of that is incorporated into the decisions that we make around free shipping. We’re not concerned about it. Our customers are going to continue to shop with us.”

In the past, Walmart banked on the fact that once a consumer was in the door of a brick and mortar building, they wanted to get all of their holiday shopping done before they left the store. It’s a lot easier to shop around on the internet than it is in person on Black Friday. Having a majority of Walmart’s Black Friday deals available online could be a major risk, but the company’s executives seem optimistic.

The elimination of Doorbusters from Walmart’s Black Friday deals might also cut down on the violent tendencies of shoppers. In previous years, greeters and various shoppers have been trampled or severely injured in the rush of shoppers attempting to be the first to grab their coveted HDTV and kitchen items for record low prices. Steps have been taken to cut down on the possibility, including regulated lines for various items and the necessity of taking a number to ensure you get what you came for before supplies run out.

It may not be like that with all stores, but Walmart is aiming to get as much of your money as they can while ensuring a safe shopping experience. However, the potential outrage of employees might still dim the excitement of these Walmart Black Friday deals.

What do you think about Walmart’s new ideas for 2015?

[Image via YouTube screen grab]

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