Walmart Promotes Upcoming Deals as It Prepares ‘Holiday Kickoff’ Event

Walmart has shared with the public some of the deals it will offer as it works to get a jump on its competitors by helping shoppers get an early start on their holiday shopping.

The retailer will offer a “Walmart Deals — Holiday Kickoff” savings event on its website from Monday (Oct. 9) through Thursday (Oct. 12), Walmart said in a Thursday (Oct. 5) press release.

Walmart promises “thousands of deals” on holiday gifts from several categories of products. In the release, it highlights two dozen of the deals that will be offered during the event, ranging from an Apple Watch SE to a car battery jump starter.

The retailer also says its website is “making it easier than ever to find the perfect gifts and discover new items with hyper-personalized content and a curated shopping experience that makes the hunt for the perfect item fast and fun.”

It also highlights its pickup and delivery options, including curbside pickup, same-day delivery in 90 minutes or less, two-day shipping and late-night Express.

Walmart first announced this upcoming shopping event on Sept. 18, the same day rival retailer Amazon unveiled its exclusive shopping event for Prime members, “Prime Big Deal Days.”

Amazon’s 48-hour event will take place from Oct. 10 to Oct. 11 and will be similar to the Prime Day in the summer, with exclusive deals and discounts.

The Prime Big Deal Days, which is Amazon’s first shopping event of that name, promises discounts on a wide range of products, with “deals on some of the most wanted gifts of the season.”

Amazon describes this as a “sequel” to its Prime Day, which was held in July and saw the retailer sell over 375 million items worldwide in two days.

As it gears up for holiday shopping, Amazon is also looking to add 250,000 employees for the season. In its holiday hiring, the retailer is looking to add full-time, part-time and seasonal positions in fulfillment centers and transportation roles, in hundreds of cities and towns.

The number of people to be hired for this year’s holiday shopping season is up from the 150,000 who were added last year.