OREANDA-NEWS. Statement attributable to Steve Bratspies, chief merchandising officer, Walmart U.S.

“Thanksgiving was an exciting day. It all started at midnight when we kicked off our Black Friday deals online. All day Thursday, Walmart stores bustled with shoppers coming to pick up last minute Thanksgiving meal fixings – pies, canned vegetables and sweet potatoes were among the top items. 

“Then, at 6:00 p.m., we turned on the Black Friday magic in stores. Customers were excited about the return of ‘one big Black Friday event.’ It was simple and easy to shop, and customers took advantage of offers across channels.

“We’ve said this Black Friday would be the most integrated between Walmart stores and Walmart.com – and we delivered. Tens of millions of customers visited our digital and physical aisles to pick up video games and systems, televisions, movies and toys, many of the top items sold both on Walmart.com and in stores. And, they prepped beforehand - more than 25 million customers accessed store maps and the circular through our online and mobile tools for Black Friday.

“We’ve planned this event for more than a year. Our stores were organized, well-prepared and safe, and I couldn’t be prouder of how our associates served our customers. Our registers were lit up and queue lines went smoothly. To say thank you, we are giving hourly associates who worked in stores on Thanksgiving an additional 15 percent discount on a shopping trip this holiday season. 

“And it’s not over. We’re ready to help our customers get their trees and lights ready for Christmas. Our Cyber Monday events kick off on Sunday night, with the deals available beginning at 8 p.m. ET. The excitement will keep going after that, as well. Our customers can trust us for low prices and rollbacks on gifts and their everyday essentials not just on one day, but for the entire season.”

About Walmart

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT) helps people around the world save money and live better – anytime and anywhere – in retail stores, online, and through their mobile devices. Each week, we serve nearly 260 million customers who visit our 11,504 stores under 65 banners in 28 countries and e-commerce websites in 11 countries. With fiscal year 2015 revenue of $486 billion, Walmart employs more than 2 million associates worldwide. Walmart continues to be a leader in sustainability, corporate philanthropy and employment opportunity.