With over 4,700 Walmart stores in the U.S., many consumers regularly make Walmart part of their shopping routine. And why not? The retail behemoth offers everything from applesauce to zippers in its stores, which makes it a one-stop shopping source for many.

                By                    Cynthia Measom

While Walmart has legions of loyal customers shopping its brick-and-mortar locations as well as online, it still continues to strive to offer bigger and better things. To learn more about what the popular big-box chain has in the works, here are seven Walmart fall changes you should know about.

Having Earlier (and More) Black Friday Sales

If you want to get in on all Walmart has to offer when it comes to holiday deals, mark your calendar for every Monday in November, which kicks off a new round of Walmart’s Black Friday Deals for Days. Additionally, if you’re a Walmart+ member, you’ll get early access to each event.

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Here’s the schedule:

  • Nov. 7: Deals start online at 7 p.m. EST and begin in stores on Nov. 9
  • Nov. 14: Deals start online at 7 p.m. EST and begin in stores on Nov. 16
  • Nov. 21: Deals start online at 7 p.m. EST and begin in stores on Nov. 21
  • Nov. 28: Walmart’s Cyber Monday event

Note that Walmart+ members will get early access to online deals each Monday from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m. EST.

If you’re wondering what prompted Walmart to begin its Black Friday sales push earlier than usual, Walmart U.S. CEO John Furner told “TODAY” that Walmart has been noticing that customers have been starting their holiday shopping earlier and earlier, especially in the last couple of years, so he said they want to be ready for those shoppers this year.

Getting Rid of Excess Inventory

Although it wasn’t so long ago that the shelves of retailers were laid bare by frantic shoppers trying to deal with the rigors of the pandemic, now it seems the problem is the opposite. Back in May, during Walmart’s earnings call, President and CEO Doug McMillon said the inflation in food prices had drawn consumers’ dollars away from the general merchandise categories, which led to a surplus in the Walmart stores.

McMillon said he expected the retailer to work through most of the excess inventory over the next couple of quarters and mentioned aggressive rollbacks in apparel as one of the actions they’ve taken. Perhaps, the earlier and extra Black Friday sales are an additional effort to reduce inventory that’s stacked up due to lagging consumer demand.

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Adding Extra Perks for Walmart+ Members

Walmart+ members are getting even more out of their membership these days with a Paramount+ Essential subscription at no additional cost, which is an added $59 value.

Not only that, but Walmart+ members can now access a new rewards system, exclusively for Walmart+ members, which is fueled by the Ibotta Performance Network. As members shop on Walmart.com or the Walmart app, they’ll see options to add these rewards to hundreds of Walmart’s bestselling items. Members can also choose to save their rewards in the Walmart wallet — either in the app or online — and use the rewards online or in store in the future.

Introducing a New Content Creator Platform

Walmart now has a new content creator platform called Walmart Creator. Creators who sign up can earn revenue and commissions on sales of the Walmart products they promote to their followers — with no cap. The platform is currently in beta stage but will launch fully in 2023.

Partnering With The Pioneer Woman on Her Clothing Collection

If you shop at Walmart, you’ve no doubt seen Ree Drummond’s — aka The Pioneer Woman’s — cookware, decor and bedding collections. However, what you might not know is that Drummond recently launched her new fall clothing collection, which is exclusive to Walmart.

From pajamas to puffer jackets and bags to bracelets, there’s plenty of pieces to choose from at Walmart’s everyday low prices.

Parting Ways With DoorDash Grocery Delivery

In August, DoorDash gave Walmart a 30-day notice that it was ending its four-year partnership with the retailer as a delivery provider. Don’t worry, though. Walmart has been focusing its efforts on its own delivery provider it launched called Spark, which delivers to both rural and suburban areas.

As of August, Walmart announced Spark was the biggest delivery provider for Walmart, with three-quarters of its orders being delivered by Spark drivers.

Leaning Into the Use of Electric Delivery Vans

As a way to fortify its last-mile, same-day delivery service, Walmart is bringing in electric delivery vans. Back in July, the retailer announced that it signed an agreement with Canoo to buy 4,500 all-electric delivery vans called Lifestyle Delivery Vehicles. Walmart’s goal is to achieve zero emissions by 2040, and this effort will help it build a sustainable delivery system.

In a Walmart press release dated July 12, David Guggina, senior vice president of innovation and automation, said, “Today, the closest Walmart to customers is right in their pockets – it’s the Walmart app. By continuing to expand our last mile delivery fleet in a sustainable way, we’re able to provide customers and Walmart+ members with even more access to same-day deliveries while keeping costs low.”