Smart shoppers are gearing up for the biggest shopping event of the year: Black Friday and Cyber Monday. This year, the excitement kicks off early with the first Black Friday Week beginning today, on Monday,

Walmart revealed more details about its second "Black Friday Deals" sale Monday that starts online on Nov. 25. Why it matters: The world's largest retailer's sale is starting four days after Amazon launches its Black Friday sale Thursday,

Amazon is also providing guidance on when exactly the sales bonanza will commence. Mark your calendar for next Thursday, November 21 at 12:01 am PST. That's when the first batch of deals will unlock, and the event will run through December 2. Throughout the entirety of the event, Amazon is promising millions of deals across more than 35 categories.