Walmart will close its 4,606 stores for a 24-hour blackout: Americans, beware of last-minute Christmas shopping
Walmart’s nationwide Christmas shutdown is returning this year, and tight Christmas Eve hours mean shoppers will need to plan their gift runs carefully.
Walmart’s annual Christmas shutdown is returning, and with it, a brief but sweeping retail blackout that will affect all 4,606 of its U.S. stores. The retailer will go fully dark for 24 hours on December 25, giving employees the day off and leaving millions of Americans without their usual one-stop shop during the holiday. But it doesn’t take much effort to plan ahead.
Short Christmas Eve window raises pressure to prepare
Walmart will open on December 24 at 6 a.m. and close at 6 p.m., giving shoppers just 12 hours to secure last-minute gifts, stocking stuffers, ingredients for Christmas dinner, or forgotten household essentials. Those limited hours typically bring a rush, especially in the final hour before doors lock.
Double your impact this Christmas!
— Salvation Army USA (@SalvationArmyUS) December 6, 2025
Walmart is matching online meal donations up to $500K and round-ups up to $1M through Dec. 24.
Donate online, give at a #RedKettle, round up your @Walmart.com purchase, or adopt an Angel in stores or online.
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The chain’s complete Christmas Day closure has become standard in recent years, aligning it with other major retailers including Target, Costco, Sam’s Club, Aldi, Home Depot, Lowe’s, Macy’s, Publix, Trader Joe’s, and Whole Foods. Hours return to normal on December 26.
Cookie and I were so excited for our annual Magic of Christmas event! We treated 125 local kids to a Target shopping spree where they each got to spend $225 on whatever they wanted! The kids had so much fun and filled their shopping carts with toys, clothes, books and their… pic.twitter.com/aC58sGtzPH
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) December 6, 2025
Few retail options on December 25
Americans who find themselves short on basics on Christmas morning will have slim choices. CVS stores may open with reduced hours, many 7-Eleven locations are expected to operate, and some regional convenience chains such as Cumberland Farms will serve customers. Beyond that, the landscape is sparse.
While Walmart remains open on most U.S. holidays, Christmas and Thanksgiving remain the company’s two full-day shutdowns. The takeaway for shoppers is simple: if it’s essential, grab it before 6 p.m. on Christmas Eve... or ideally, well before then.
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