NEW YORK (Reuters) - Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (NYSE:WMT - news) on Monday said that as part of its so-called "Black Friday" promotions, its stores will match any price featured in a local competitor's print advertisement if it has the identical product in stock.

A spokeswoman for Wal-Mart said it was the first time the retailer was offering the promotion on Black Friday, the traditional day-after-Thanksgiving start of the holiday shopping season.

"It's all part of our strategy of ... taking a much more aggressive approach to the holidays on all levels," said Wal-Mart spokeswoman Gail Lavielle.

Wal-Mart, the world's biggest retailer, has set the stage for a fiercely competitive end-of-the-year shopping season, launching its holiday advertising on November 1, the earliest in company history.

The company is also offering special online deals starting on Monday and continuing through Friday.

Wal-Mart shares closed up 12 cents at $49.62 ahead of the announcement.