WalMart or Target for Most Things??

[Notmuchlonger]

Never in my dreams would I see such a difference between Walmart and Target

Just for kicks I am going to do some price and atmosphere comparison the next time I head out to buy my breath RX at discount. To see the big savings

 

[Payin-the-Toll]

My Walmart has self-check-out lines, but limits it to 10 items--don't know why. If I go on Tuesday morning around 9:30am there will be only one clerk-checkout line, but if I go on Friday around noon, when it's really crowded, then they'll have 6-7 check out lines open--so it's faster to go when it's crowded--go figure.

 

[Rambler]

FD - if you want to save te money, get up early on saturday morning and head to wally world. Get the things that will save you the most money, take them home, put them away, slip back into bed before she notices you are even up. Then let her buy the other things she wants at Target.

Just a thought...but I often do it.

R

 

[Moemg]

I don't really like to shop Walmart for food but I have heard if you have kids it is cheaper .

 

[Dawg52]

I usually hate going shopping. Going to WalMart "enhances" that feeling. Too crowded, and I always wind up about 6 deep at checkout in the slowest line.

I felt the same way when I worked. Going after 5:00 PM or during my lunch hour was a nightmare. But as a retiree, I go around mid-morning so it is not bad at all. As I mentioned before, I have a new Super Walmart to shop at so it is nice. The old smaller Walmart it replaced was pretty sleazy.

 

[maverixz]

Food & Purdue chicken (horrible meat, otherwise): Walmart
Cheap clothing and kitchen utensils: Kohl's especially with their sale coupons
Sales and better quality items: Target

Tacky as it sounds, I go where the deals are.
The Walmart here after 6 pm looks so rough that I feel like I should be carrying mace with me. I just go in the morning.
FYI: For those that don't know, TJ Maxx and Marshall's are owned by the same corporation. I heard on good authority that the TJ Maxx people are very nice at the top.

The comment in bold sums it up for me.

 

[Sarah in SC]

Walmart or Hell with my back broken? I'll take hell, please!

Life is too short to stand in that godawful line with those unhappy members of the GP (general public).

 

[calmloki]

I have limited desires, so CostlyCo does it for me - heard on Nightline that they only carry 4000 items/store, as opposed to 40,000 to 120,000 at other stores. I'm happier with fewer choices. Do go to Wallymart for shower curtain liners (20-30 at a time) for the apartments and cheap miniblinds.

Costco's method reminds me of a study i read about:
"Some observers, however, suggest that more options may not always be a good thing. One study conducted at a supermarket near the Stanford campus, for instance, found that shoppers who were allowed to taste from 24 different jams were actually less likely to purchase any jam than shoppers who were allowed to taste from only 6. Michaela Draganska, associate professor of marketing at the Stanford Graduate School of Business, has found that while variety does have a positive impact on brand choice, some companies, especially those with well-known brands, are going overboard and would be better off offering consumers fewer brand choices. People can become so overwhelmed by the mountain of options available in nearly every product category from breakfast cereals or 401(k) plans to cars that they're likely to put off purchases—sometimes indefinitely". Research: News: Stanford GSB

Though i'm sure the Costco business model predates the Stanford study, for me, too many choices jam me up.

 

[Zathras]

While Walmart is better at making money, I like the business practices of Target more. While finding stuff made in the USA is not easy in either place, it is much easier to find stuff made in the USA at Target.
I also feel Target treats its employees and customers better than Walmart.
For these reasons I support Target by shopping there.

One thing, in my mind, Walmart has the edge over Target in their energy conservation. Not enough to tip the scales for me, but definately a positive.

 

[Notmuchlonger]

This thread has got me really thinking. I am going to compare Target to Walmart the next time I need some T-shirts and breath Rx. Im going to wander and really take in what is the big difference between the two. Thanks all this is a cool thread!

 

[Khan]

Where I am, the Target is clean and well kept and the employees are helpful; the Walmart is rather crappy and the employees close to non-existent. YMMV.

 

[Nords]

DW has a love affair with Target. I have to admit that our local Target is hip and cool, and has nicer brands of clothes and other stuff than WalMart, but the amount of CASH I save at WalMart is staggering........
How can I make her understand??

Hurry over here.

Target won't invade Hawaii until 2009, but they're already in the process of destroying an impressive amount of Kapolei to open their store before Wal-Mart finishes destroying an equally impressive part of Kapolei to open their 8th or 9th store in the islands. Both of those schmucks (and I mean that in the full Yiddish sense of the word) will add at least 10 minutes to my surf drive but no doubt they'll have great values.

Maybe your spouse has a social conscience from reading "The Wal-Mart Effect".

But since this is a domestic dispute, perhaps you could take a more analytical approach. (After all, we are guys. Analytical is what we do.) Figure out how much your spouse "wastes" at Target every year and divide it by the total amount of the family's retail spending. Or compare her "waste" to the amount of money that you spend on golf every year.

Once you've collected your data, built your spreadsheet, analyzed the heck out of it, and drawn your supremely logical conclusions, then you can do what every wise husband would do: [-]spend at least that much more on golf[/-] keep your conclusions to yourself!

 

[W2R]

The islands sure have changed from back in the day. Now that you have Wal-Mart, they must be giving Holiday Mart a run for the money.

 

[ERD50]

I like the Target TV commercials better than the WalMart commercials.

I hate most commercials, I think these are actually clever and somewhat effective. You sell lots of 'stuff' - so show that by picking a single color, and then show a bunch of 'stuff' - all in the same color. The mono-chrome and clever patterns catch the eye. And, there is a message there - if we can show so many things that are all the same color, we must really have a lot of stuff, w/o actually coming out and saying 'we have a lot of stuff'.

One of the few commercials that catches my eye, and makes me remember the company.

When car companies put a pretty girl in the ad, I may remember the girl, but not the car brand.

-ERD50

 

[FIREd]

I buy most grocery staples, hygiene products, pet supplies and basic houseware items at Walmart (I usually buy brand name items so it's as good quality as anywhere else but much cheaper at Walmart). For decorative items and durable goods I prefer going to Target because it's more hip and some items are better quality. My Walmart is a pretty interesting place for people watching, that's for sure. I always dress down to blend in when I go there, but I have never felt unsafe. I almost always use the self checkout lanes and avoid the lifeless [-]cashiers[/-] robots behind the registers. I also always get stopped by the [-]elderly greeters[/-] fierce security guards on my way out (they want to make sure I paid for everything in my cart). But I don't go to Walmart for the shopping experience. I go there for the prices and I don't expect much.

 

[Dreamer]

We had a new shopping center built in the last few years that has both Target and a Super Walmart. I drive past the Target to get to Wally World. I have been in the Target a couple of times, but definitely prefer Walmart. I was there today and was waited on within 5 minutes and my checkout lady was very nice. Where else can you get Breyers Ice Cream 2 for $7.00? I buy most of my produce, milk, eggs and some meats at Aldi's store. I go to Walmart for toiletries, name brand foods that we like and lots of household items. Our Target does not have near the selection that Walmart does. I must admit, that I have been caught in some long lines at Walmart before, but they are not the only store where this has happened.

 

[CyclingInvestor]

Costco (6m, soon to be 2m) for whatever they carry
Target (<1m) for whatever Costco does not have
Albertsons (0.5m) for whatever is left

I will invest in WalMart, but I will not shop there. I cannot take
the crowds and narrow aisles.

 

[laurence]

We don't exclude WalMart, they sometimes have the lowest price and we try to LBYM. But time at WalMart is like time in prison - can't wait to get out. Target almost feels like a date by comparison. Prices always seem reasonable for what we buy, and Target's triple blade razors are the best I've ever used. I love Tar-shey and it's wide open spaces and bright colors. In my local Walmart I'm suffocated by the crowds and sure the next corner will be giving away government cheese!

 

[SteveR]

We shop them both along with Sam's Club at least a couple of times a month. We shop on Sundays...which around here is the best day to be out in public due to half the population or more being in church all day.

Here are some interesting facts on the Target Stores history.
Target Corporation - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[Walt34]

I generally don't "do" standing in lines. I worked hard for my money. If some business is too busy to take it I'll spend it someplace else.

And I've found that (generally) buying the cheapest price is also buying the lowest quality, which to me is a false economy. YMMV. I bought a Honda lawn mower in 1986, keep the maintenance done, and it runs fine.

 

[Ronstar]

we shop for groceries every weekend at walmart. Then stop at Jewel just for apples, plain yogurt and skinny cows. We are switching from sunday afternoons to friday nights to avoid the crowds.

 

[Orchidflower]

REQUEST: For those adventurous folks who actually will do a legitimate price compare on Walmart vs. Target (or any other stores), would you mind posting the results? I am very interested in seeing them, and, I'll bet, I am not the only one here by any means that would be interested. I, for one, go where the deals are and would love to see the results. Thanks!

 

[Janet H]

I also avoid Walmart.

Poor layout - designed to make you walk through every isle to find your item.
Greeters - I find them depressing.
Funky smell - old popcorn and used humanity.

 

[FinanceDude]

Where do you shop to obtain better quality merchandise at a relative bargain?

TJ Maxx, Marshalls, and Burlington Coat Factory.........

 

[maddythebeagle]

Burlington Coat Factory.........

Did you know that they are more than great coats....I dont know know what, though...do they sell big bags of rice since that is what I am looking for