Walmart, the US‘ largest retailer, will shutter all 4,606 U.S. stores for a full 24-hour blackout on Christmas Day, December 25, 2025, leaving last-minute shoppers scrambling. This annual tradition, one of only two days the chain closes alongside Thanksgiving, is a bid to prioritise employee family time amid holiday frenzy, The Sun reported.
What time does Walmart close on December 24?
Stores will reopen for limited hours on December 24, operating from 6 am to 6 pm, a sharp cut from regular schedules.
Shoppers must complete gift hunts, dinner prep, and essentials runs within this 12-hour window, fuelling expected rushes. Walmart has urged advance planning, noting the early closure kicks off the nationwide shutdown exceeding 24 hours total.
Operations will resume normally on December 26, but the brief window heightens pressure on procrastinators.
Employee-friendly policy
The one-day annual closure reflects Walmart’s longstanding commitment to work-life balance, allowing 1.6 million associates to celebrate without shifts. This mirrors industry trends, with rivals like Target, Costco, Sam’s Club, Aldi, Home Depot, Lowe’s, Macy’s, Publix, Trader Joe’s, and Whole Foods also locking doors on Christmas. Sam’s Club limits Christmas Eve to 8 am.-6 pm for members (9 a.m. for non-members); Costco caps at 9 am-5 pm for executives.
Walmart closure: Delivery and online lifelines
Physical closures will not halt e-commerce, however. Walmart will extend express delivery until 5 pm on December 24, one hour later than 2024, for items arriving in as little as 60 minutes, subject to availability.
Standard shipping deadlines will stretch to 12:30 pm on December 23 for Christmas arrival. Walmart will experiment with “dark stores”, delivery-only spots stocked with popular items, to make service faster and draw in higher-income shoppers who want quick efficiency. Online orders, meal donations (matched up to $500,000), and checkout round-ups will support holiday giving through December 24, Marca reported.