Walmart Will Close Its Stores on Thanksgiving and Christmas While Rolling Out One-Hour Express Pickup Nationwide for the Holidays

“Stores will be closed again on Thanksgiving and Christmas this year,” Walmart said in its Oct. 7 holiday announcement, keeping a practice the retailer says gives associates time with their families. The same announcement laid out a faster way to grab last-minute groceries before those days off: Express Pickup, which has orders ready in as little as one hour. Walmart says the service, now at 500 stores, will expand nationwide in the coming weeks, in time for Thanksgiving shopping.

Two Holidays With the Doors Closed

In its holiday season announcement, Walmart said its stores will close on Thanksgiving, Nov. 26, 2026, and on Christmas Day, Dec. 25. The word “again” signals that the closures carry over from last year rather than being a new policy.

For families, the practical effect is that any forgotten cranberry sauce or batteries for a new toy need to be picked up the day before. Walmart’s announcement did not list extended or shortened hours for Thanksgiving Eve, Black Friday or Christmas Eve, so those will vary by store.

Sam’s Club, which Walmart owns, was mentioned in the announcement only in connection with holiday giving programs. The release did not say whether Sam’s Club locations follow the same closure schedule.

How One-Hour Express Pickup Works

Customers order Express Pickup in the Walmart app and collect it curbside, with orders ready in as soon as one hour, according to the company. Walmart said the service was available at 500 stores at the time of the announcement and would roll out nationwide over the following weeks.

The pitch is speed for families squeezing errands between school pickups and travel. A shopper can place an order on a lunch break and collect it that afternoon without walking the aisles. Walmart+ members get unlimited Express Pickup with no fee. The company did not list a price for shoppers without a membership in the announcement.

Pickup joins a ladder of delivery speeds Walmart now offers, subject to availability, with fees and restrictions that can apply:

• Drone delivery, measured in minutes, in areas where it operates
• 30-minute-or-less delivery
• One-hour Express delivery
• Three-hour On-Demand delivery
• Scheduled delivery

Sam’s Club runs a parallel system. In its Oct. 15 Thanksgiving meal announcement, Sam’s Club said its Express delivery can arrive in as little as an hour at participating clubs for an extra $10 for Plus members and $22 for Club members. That release also introduced a fully cooked Member’s Mark Thanksgiving meal that serves up to 16 for just under $160, with orders opening Oct. 28.

New In-Store Help for Holiday Crowds

Walmart also highlighted two in-store tools aimed at busy shopping days. The first, called Shop to Light, uses the digital shelf labels already in stores. A shopper who requests help locating a product in the Walmart app triggers the system, and “a small LED on the shelf label flashes to help the customer spot it,” the company said in an Oct. 1 announcement. Walmart did not say how many stores have the feature.

The second is American Sign Language interpreting through Sorenson. Walmart says customers can scan a QR code at U.S. store service desks to connect with an interpreter, part of a broader accessibility effort the company describes on its corporate site.

Gatherings, Giving and Holiday Meals

Walmart framed the season around crowded calendars. Its September 2026 customer data found that 42% of shoppers expect to host or attend three to four holiday gatherings, according to the announcement.

The retailer is also tying its checkout to charity. Through a campaign it calls “A Season to Spark Good,” customers and Sam’s Club members can support The Salvation Army’s Angel Tree and Red Kettle programs. Online shoppers who use the Round Up feature will send their spare change to Operation Homefront, which supports military families, in November and to The Salvation Army in December.

Walmart’s holiday announcement did not include a price for its own Thanksgiving grocery basket. Last year, the company sold a one-click meal for 10 at $39.93, about 25% less than its 2024 basket, built around a 13.5-pound Butterball turkey at 97 cents a pound. The 2025 basket included Stove Top stuffing, canned corn and green beans, macaroni and cheese, fresh potatoes and cranberries, dinner rolls, pie crusts, evaporated milk and pumpkin, and it was priced through late December. John Furner, identified in that release as president and CEO of Walmart U.S., said the goal was for every family to share a holiday meal without giving up quality, quantity or tradition.

Competitors have already posted their 2026 numbers. Target’s $30 Thanksgiving meal for six runs Nov. 8 through Nov. 29, with its Good & Gather frozen turkey at 79 cents a pound for a third straight year. The meal includes a Butterball turkey up to 10 pounds plus potatoes, cranberry sauce, stuffing, gravy and green bean casserole ingredients, and it is not valid in Alaska or Hawaii. More on those deals is in the Target and Aldi Thanksgiving meal comparison.

For shoppers planning around the two closures, the timeline is simple: Walmart stores are closed Thursday, Nov. 26, and Friday, Dec. 25, and Walmart says Express Pickup will reach stores nationwide in time for Thanksgiving shopping. Households that rely on pickup for the holiday rush can check the Walmart app for the option at their local store as the rollout continues.

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This article was produced with AI assistance and edited for accuracy against the sources linked above.

Image: FLGALine1999 – CC0/Wikimedia Commons