Thanksgiving Sale 2026: What Starts Online on November 26, and What Waits for Friday
Thanksgiving 2026 is Thursday, November 26. Walmart and Target stores are closed that day, so Thanksgiving sales happen online and in the apps. Store doors open on Black Friday, November 27.
Thanksgiving 2026 falls on Thursday, November 26, and Black Friday is the next day, November 27. Walmart has already said its stores will be closed on Thanksgiving this year, and Target keeps its stores closed on Thanksgiving every year. So a Thanksgiving sale in 2026 mostly means online and in the app: last year Walmart ran its second Black Friday deals event online only from the Tuesday through Thursday, and opened them in stores on Friday. Below: what we know for 2026 as of October 28, what is still unannounced, and how to have your list ready before Thursday.
Thanksgiving sale 2026: what we know so far
Here is what the stores themselves have said, checked on October 28, 2026.
| Store | Thanksgiving Day, Nov 26 | What is announced |
|---|---|---|
| Walmart | Stores closed | Closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas, per its October 7 holiday announcement. Early Black Friday November 12 to 15, Black Friday November 23 to 29 (in stores from November 27), Cyber Monday November 30 to December 2, per its October 26 announcement. |
| Target | Stores closed | Closed every Thanksgiving since 2021. A Deal of the Day from November 1 to December 24 and Early Black Friday deals on November 5 to 7. |
| Most other chains | Check your store | Hours for Thanksgiving and Black Friday morning usually appear on each store's locator page in November. |
Thanksgiving is always the fourth Thursday of November. In 2026 that is November 26, so Black Friday is November 27 and Cyber Monday is November 30.
So on Thursday you shop on your phone or laptop, and on Friday the stores open as well.
What starts online on Thursday
When stores close for the holiday, the sale does not stop. It moves to the website and the app.
Walmart has now announced its 2026 events: Black Friday deals start online November 23, then in stores November 27 at 6 a.m. local time, and run through November 29. That is earlier online than last year: Walmart announced its 2025 plans on October 27, with its second Black Friday event online only November 25 to 27, then online and in stores November 28 to 30. Walmart+ members got five hours of early access online the evening before. This year, members get the first 24 hours on select online deals.
What that means for you:
- Online deals can start before Friday. Walmart starts online on Monday, November 23, so the price you want may appear before Thursday.
- Online stock can sell out first. A popular item can be gone online on Thursday and still be on a shelf on Friday morning, or the other way around.
- Early access is often for paid members. Walmart's membership page says its Black Friday early access is for paid Walmart+ members only, online only.
What waits for Friday
Some things still make more sense in a store on Black Friday morning:
- Big or heavy items you want to bring home the same day, without a delivery window.
- Things you want to see first, like a TV size, a coat or a stroller.
- Store-only doorbusters, if a store announces them. Read the ad carefully: it says whether a deal is online, in store, or both.
Two things to check the week before:
- Store hours for Friday. Walmart's in-store Black Friday deals start at 6 a.m. local time on November 27; Target has not announced its 2026 Black Friday hours. Check the store locator for your own store, not a list from last year.
- Pickup slots. If you order online on Thursday for pickup, the pickup time is often the first thing to run out.
How to be ready by Thursday
Most Thanksgiving deal stress comes from looking for the same five things over and over while dinner is in the oven. Do the looking now.
- Make the list now. Five to ten things you actually want.
- Save the exact product page for each one: the model, the size, the color.
- Write down your price. The price that would make you buy today. Our guide on whether to buy now or wait for Black Friday helps you set it.
- Start watching prices today so you know what a real drop looks like. More on that in how to track prices before and during Black Friday.
- Check store hours and pickup the week before, only for the things you plan to buy in person.
For every other date of the week, including Cyber Monday and the return windows that start after you buy, see our Black Friday 2026 dates and deadlines.
Where Tracy fits
Tracy, the assistant in dEssence, works with what you give her. Save the product link from Chrome, Telegram, iMessage or the web, and say what you want in your own words: a price, a size, a color. Tracy watches that item from today and messages you when the price drops or the size comes back. There is a free plan.
A holiday wish list is a classic piece of life admin, the list you carry in your head, and it gets easier once it is written down in one place.
She does not scan every store for deals and does not buy anything for you. You save the things you care about, and she tells you when it is a good moment.
Frequently asked questions
When is Thanksgiving 2026?
Thursday, November 26, 2026. Black Friday is Friday, November 27, and Cyber Monday is November 30.
Are Walmart and Target open on Thanksgiving 2026?
No. Walmart said in October 2026 that its stores will be closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas. Target has kept its stores closed on Thanksgiving every year since 2021. Both websites and apps stay open.
Do Black Friday deals start on Thanksgiving?
Often online, yes. In 2025 Walmart ran its second Black Friday deals event online only from the Tuesday through Thanksgiving, and in stores from Friday. In 2026 its Black Friday deals start online November 23 and in stores November 27.
What time do stores open on Black Friday 2026?
Walmart's in-store deals start at 6 a.m. local time on November 27. Target had not posted 2026 Black Friday hours as of October 28. Check your own store's page the week before, since hours can differ by location.
Is it better to shop online on Thanksgiving or in store on Black Friday?
Online on Thursday is easier for things you already know you want. Friday in store is better for big items you want to take home the same day or see first.