Christmas, really the entire holiday season, mixes joy with pain.
Most people get to see family, take time off from work, and celebrate a joyous season. At its best, the period between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day represents a celebratory time when people exchange presents, eat good food, and perhaps, tip back some adult beverages.
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The holiday season, however, also comes with its share of stress. Presents don't buy themselves, and it's often hard to align budgets with expectations, especially when kids are involved.
Travel also brings people together, but the cost of airfare, hotels, and gasoline are generally higher than most years. Add in that inflation has driven food prices higher, and even something as joyful as a holiday meal comes with added stress.
Many people also find joy in decorating their homes for Christmas. That's a tradition that comes with its own problems as everyone who has ever owned Christmas lights has also dealt with untangling them, figuring out why they don't work, and risking life and limb to hang them in what are often treacherous weather conditions.
That's not a part of the holiday people celebrate, although countless Christmas movies have depicted people struggling to make the reality of their holiday home match their vision.
Walmart (WMT) -) has a new partnership that can remove that piece of stress from its customers and help them have a merrier Christmas.
Image source: Getty Images
Walmart partners with Angi
While decorating your home sort of feels like a holiday right of passage, Walmart has partnered with Angi (ANGI) -) so you can outsource the actual work involved with hanging lights.
The retailer is offering Christmas lighting installation and removal through Angi with prices starting at $149 for 150 feet of lighting installed.
"This year, Walmart customers will see QR codes on shelves and the packages of lights. This code will give them the opportunity to purchase light installation from a skilled pro from Angi. Purchase of this service will be easy. Whether in a Walmart store using the QR code or while shopping online at Walmart.com, customers will be directed to the holiday landing page," the company shared on its web page.
Walmart will sell a joint removal/installation package for $229.
Both Walmart and Angi have pushed these services as being an investment in spending more time with your family.
“Once again Walmart is committed to helping customers make the most of their time during the busy holiday season," Walmart Vice President Marlena Bond shared in a press release. "This includes offering home services that allow them to spend more time with their families.”
"The holidays can be a hectic time of year and getting your home ready is one thing you can check off your list with ease with the help of a pro from Angi to install your holiday lights from Walmart," said Angi Chief Customer Officer Angie Hicks in a press release.
Angi uses pre-screened freelancers to provide various contracting, home improvement, and handyman services to its customers.
Walmart tries to keep holiday prices down
While Walmart may be unique in offering Christmas light hanging and removal, it's not alone in trying to offer holiday meals at a value. Costco (COST) -), Target (TGT) -), Kroger (KR) -), and Amazon (AMZN) -), have all taken steps to offer value-based options on holiday favorites.
Walmart, however, has specifically addressed lowering prices for holiday staples because the company shared that "92% of its customers expressed some level of concern about inflation," according to a survey conducted by the retailer.
"To meet customers’ needs, Walmart is offering two Thanksgiving meal options at an even lower price than last year, one with ingredients for customers who like to cook from scratch, and one for customers who like more convenient, ready-to-bake options," the retailer shared on its website.
Last year, Walmart made a point of sharing that it had kept prices at the previous year's levels.
Walmart finished Friday at $158.76, off 1.25% for the day and 0.7% on the week. The shares are up 12% for the year.
