Why Do People Wait Until the Last Minute?
A Walmart study on the top reasons why these shoppers procrastinate on their holiday shopping found 40% were too busy with other holiday season activities to get their shopping done on time, while another 36% had no excuse at all and admitted it was nothing more than pure procrastination.
More and more retail stores are catering specifically to these last-minute shoppers by extending their opening hours during the holidays to allow the procrastinators even more time to get their shopping done. For example, Macy’s has decided to remain open 24 hours a day the last few days before Christmas while Target has expanded their regular hours as well. With so many retail stores extending holiday hours, many people want to know if Walmart has extended holiday hours for Christmas as well.
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Walmart Christmas Store Hours
While Walmart has been progressively extending the number of hours it’s open during the Thanksgiving holiday (it opened at 6:00 pm this year), it doesn’t extend its open hours during the Christmas holiday season.
While this is likely to change with so many of their competitors offering extended holiday hours, Walmart hasn’t announced any special hours for 2016, except it will be closing on Christmas Eve early and will be closed on Christmas Day. For those doing part of their Christmas shopping at Walmart, the store is open for the following hours in the days before Christmas.
- Sunday, December 18: Walmart will be open from 6:00 AM to 11:00 PM.
- Monday, December 19: Walmart will be open from 6:00 AM to 11:00 PM.
- Tuesday, December 20: Walmart will be open from 6:00 AM to 11:00 PM.
- Wednesday, December 21: Walmart will be open from 6:00 AM to 11:00 PM.
- Thursday, December 22: Walmart will be open from 6:00 AM to 11:00 PM.
- Friday, December 23: Walmart will be open from 6:00 AM to 11:00 PM.
- Saturday, December 24 (Christmas Eve): Walmart will be open from 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM.
- Sunday, December 25 (Christmas Day): Walmart is closed.
- Monday, December 26: Walmart will be open from 6:00 AM to 11:00 PM.
Keep in mind that these hours are only for Walmart locations that ARE NOT 24 hours. Most Walmart locations, however, are open 24 hours a day and will not close.
Shopping During Walmart’s Christmas Store Hours
While Walmart doesn’t currently extend its store opening hours for the Christmas holiday, it’s still open plenty of hours for those who need to get some last-minute shopping done. For those who do head out to their local store from now until Christmas, it’s important to remember that last-second shopping isn’t conducive to saving money in most cases. The reality is that when you shop with major time constraints with large crowds of people all around, you often end up choosing anything to get out of the store, rather than a well thought out gift.
The best way to avoid this from happening is to take the time to write out a shopping list of the gifts you want to purchase for each person still on your list before heading to the store. If you’re not sure what you want to get a certain person, spend some time looking online to find the gift rather than heading to the store to look. There is a lot less stress, and you are much more likely to find the perfect gift by looking online before heading to the store, than finding it by randomly walking around at the store.
If you still can’t find something to buy for all the people on your list before going, consider opting for a gift card to their favorite store or for something they can use to pamper themselves, like a day at a spa or a massage. While a gift card isn’t as personal as a well-thought out gift, it will be much more appreciated than gift purchased for the simple reason of getting out of a crowded store with something in hand. Walmart has a wide variety of gift cards available, and one should make for a good gift to that one person who you can’t seem to find anything to give.
(Photo courtesy of Mike Mozart)
Alexa Mason is the blogger behind Single Moms Income, a personal finance freelance writer, and an online entrepreneur. Come hang out with her on Facebook and Pinterest.
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