9 Ways Holiday Shopping at Walmart Can Be Easy & Fun!

This past October I visited the Walmart home office and got a sneak peek at some of the ways Walmart would be helping to make your holiday shopping easier! In addition to the Walmart layaway program and Black Friday deals I’ve already told you about, let me share additional ways that Walmart is making holiday shopping stress-free and even fun. You’ll definitely want to take advantage of these tips and tools to help you get through the holidays!

9 Ways Holiday Shopping at Walmart Can Be Easy & Fun!

1. Chosen by Kids: Just like last year, Walmart once again asked kids (ages 18 months – 12 years) which toys are their favorite. Gathering hundreds of kids for a large focus group, Walmart let them test out new toys from various suppliers. In the end, the Chosen by Kids Top 20 Toys list emerged, with top toy trends for this holiday season including creative toys, classic toys, and unsurprisingly, Disney’s Frozen line. Your kids can also create online wish lists by browsing Walmart’s Toy Book, which can be shared with friends and family via email or social media!

2. Top 100 Gifts: If you’re looking for gift ideas, check out Walmart’s Top 100 Gifts list, which includes toys, electronics, apparel, and housewares. All top 100 gifts are eligible for free home shipping through 12/17 – read on for details!

3. Free Shipping: Walmart is providing free shipping to your home (within the contiguous United States) on all the Top 100 Gifts, now through December 17! There are a variety of items eligible for free home shipping, including top brands like Keurig, Leap Frog, Disney’s Frozen, and Xbox, among others. You’ll also find TVs, phones, and headphones among the Top 100 Gifts on Walmart.com that are all included in the free shipping offer. In addition, regardless of the type of items you purchase, you can choose free home delivery if your order totals $50 or more! (Note: Free shipping not available for Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, or Guam.)

4. Site to Store Shipping: If you’re purchasing items not eligible for free home shipping, then take advantage of Walmart’s free site to store shipping! Many items throughout Walmart.com are eligible for site to store shipping (with many available for same-day pickup), making it easy for you to head to your chosen store, pick up the already-purchased item, and take it home!

5. Cyber Monday: Like many retailers, Walmart will be offering a variety of online deals on Cyber Monday, December 1st! Details on the specific deals and savings are soon-to-be released, so be sure to check the Walmart Cyber Monday site.

6. Savings Catcher: By now you know about the Walmart Savings Catcher tool, which helps you save time and money by searching other retailers’ prices and doing the ad matching for you – if a lower price is found, you get the difference via a Walmart eGift Card! During the holidays, Savings Catcher will also catch savings on turkeys and hams to help you with your holiday meals!

7. Checkout Promise: Starting the weekend of November 22nd and continuing each weekend through Christmas, Walmart plans to open more checkout lanes between 12 p.m. and 6 p.m. at their Supercenters and other stores offering general merchandise. Walmart also plans to open additional lanes the day before Thanksgiving, November 26th, and during the final days before Christmas, December 20th – 24th.

8. Holiday Hub: This year, you can visit the Walmart Holiday Hub online to find lots of videos with tips for holiday recipes, holiday gift ideas, information on Black Friday deals, and Chosen by Kids toys. You’ll also find celebrity hosts Anthony Anderson and Melissa Joan Hart bringing you more video content and commercials for the holidays, so you never miss a deal!

9. In-store Fun: This holiday season, Walmart will be hosting several in-store events to help your family have fun while shopping! Events such as toy and electronics demos, food samplings, and Pictures with Santa will be held in December. Pictures with Santa will be available in all Walmart Supercenter stores the weekends of December 6-7 and 13-14 near the store’s photo department. (Check here if you want to see which stores near you will have Pictures with Santa.) For demo and food sampling event dates, it’s best if you check your local store for more information.

Additionally, you’ll also be able to give back this holiday season while shopping at Walmart through their Fill the Truck program in collaboration with Salvation Army. Fill the Truck begins on Black Friday (may vary by store), when you’ll find either a Salvation Army truck at your store or cardboard trucks to drop off your donations to help local kids in need.

When doing your holiday shopping at Walmart this holiday season, what service or tool will you be taking advantage of?

Photos courtesy of Walmart. Affiliate links used throughout.