WalMart or Target for Most Things??

[frayne]

Wife does all the grocery shopping between Dollar General, Aldi's and Wal-Mart every two weeks. All are in close proximity, clean and cost effective.

 

[FUEGO]

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

Oh, for clothes. Yep - and we also shop at Ross.

However our expenditures on food and other staples are probably 10-20x our clothes expenditures. And kids clothes we buy at walmart - who really cares if they are durable. They will be outgrown before they can wear out. At $2-$3 per item, it is approximately the same price as a thrift store (I would assume - I never shop there).

One big reason I do all shopping at walmart is convenience. In 1 to 1.5 hours, we take care of all weekly shopping at one place. Saves immensely on time and saves on gas. My time is very valuable. Spending an extra few hours every week (times 2 people) to shop at other places and maybe save a few bucks and/or get better quality merchandise isn't usually worth it. I have better things to do than spend 1/4 of my weekend shopping and driving around town in traffic.

 

[DownPuppy]

Do you ever get the feeling while dilly dallying through target that your strolling through the core of an apple?

 

[Orchidflower]

Did I ever get some fantastic deals on good quality merchandise at Ross Dress for Less. Everything from shoes to linens. However, you REALLY have to be a regular and be willing to dig thru alot of crud.
Unfortunately, Ross isn't in all that many cities.

 

[FUEGO]

Do you ever get the feeling while dilly dallying through target that your strolling through the core of an apple?

When going to walmart I feel like I'm on a raid into a third world country trying to extract as much wealth as I can as quickly as I can and get the h3ll out as fast as possible. It isn't a pleasant experience, but it keeps the household running in an efficient manner. They even speak Spanish in this third world country.

 

[hankster]

We live in a rural area. There is a Walmart Supercenter 20 minutes away. Target is about 40 minutes away so we gotta go with the close one. My work schedule provides a lot of days off during the week so I usually shop early morning on a weekday. Very few shoppers at those times so I'm in and back out in record time. Avoiding crowds is top priority for me.

 

[aenlighten]

Prices are comparable

for items they both carry, but that isn't much. Walmart has more lower priced but often lower quality merchandise, while Target has more upscale, design merchandise. Sometimes price is important, sometimes design. Neither beat the local supermarket sale prices.

Sam's Club has good prices but limited selection so you have to shop elsewhere as well. If you spend a lot it can be worthwhile, but it doesn't make much sense for a single individual buying only food. Simply can't use the large quantities or consume enough to make it worthwhile.

 

[CuppaJoe]

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.

Yeah, I just resisted buying some scissors at Walgreen's. They were two in the package along with a knife for $3.00; I only need one pair of scissors and no knife. They had to be too cheap to last. I may go to Williams Sonoma at lunch time and check out what they have to offer. Funny though, the noontime line takes longer at Wms-Sonoma than at Walgreens.

 

[FinanceDude]

for items they both carry, but that isn't much. Walmart has more lower priced but often lower quality merchandise, while Target has more upscale, design merchandise. Sometimes price is important, sometimes design. Neither beat the local supermarket sale prices.

Sam's Club has good prices but limited selection so you have to shop elsewhere as well. If you spend a lot it can be worthwhile, but it doesn't make much sense for a single individual buying only food. Simply can't use the large quantities or consume enough to make it worthwhile.

Well,I have a family of 4, so no problems........

I LOVE Sam's Club, but you have to know what's what. I have seen LOWER prices on some items at WalMart than Sam's Club. However, if you want 3 pounds of grapes, etc, Sam's is the bomb.

For weekly grocery treks, I split time between our local Roundy's Store (Pick and Save) and the 24 hour WalMart. Produce at WalMart is pretty much a joke, but most everything else is about 15-20% cheaper than Pick and Save............

 

[jazz4cash]

Target is where I shop, when I have to go to some sort of department store.

Walmart...only at gunpoint will I enter that godforsaken nightmare called the supercenter. I'd rather work the rest of my days if the only way I can retire is to shop there. Death itself would be more merciful than standing in the line to check out there.

I feel much better knowing others have equally strong negative feelings about Walmo. We don't have a supercenter, but the place here is a really depressing, junky, disorganized mess. I do go there for generic garden chemicals, tho.

 

[sweetana3]

I hate Walmart meats because they seem to be full of water and fat when cooked. We go to Kroger for Just Perfect Turkey. I hate Walmart/Sams Club clothes. They dont last or wash well. Their home products are cheap looking and made with cheap components.

That said, I like the fact they dont have "sale prices" to keep track of and if the product is one you like, for example Mexicorn,the price will almost always be less than a surrounding store.

So we compromise and go occasionally to stock up and dont stay long. We buy our produce and meats always elsewhere.

 

[Notmuchlonger]

Well, I never got food from a Walmart. They dont have those super centers around me. I did buy some Jolly Ranchers they were at a tasty price.

 

[citrine]

Target.....Walmart is absolutely HORRIBLE!!!!

 

[JayOh]

My significant other refuses to go into Walmart, she will only go to Target. If we ever need something in a hurry (Walmart is closer) she sends me out to go get it.

 

[Texas Proud]

Sometimes its better to lose a battle but win the war..

Just started reading this thread... so someone else might have made a comment...

But... if you lose this battle... haven't you lost the war

 

[Texas Proud]

One time I was in one of the big Wally worlds.... and over to one side of the HUGE building... I mean, you could put maybe 4 football fields in one of these boxes...

But I digress.... I looked UP... it was shocking... I would say at least 25% of the lights were blinking away... started to drive me crazy... and if you looked close at the products, you could actually see the 'strobing' that the florescent lights were giving off....

I did not see this at Target... but it was new..

I got pissed at Target... they closed the one I drove by and moved it about 4 miles down the road to be across the street from a wally supercenter...

Also... remember Sam's is a wally world store...

 

[Nords]

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.

Um, ouch. That run ended a few years ago:
Honolulu Star-Bulletin News /2005/02/04/

After Holiday Mart went under to Daiei, Daiei ended up in bankruptcy and recreated themselves as "Don Quixote". (I don't understand why, but it's considered a good name at the HQ in Japan.) If it wasn't for Japanese cultural items that couldn't be found anywhere else on the island, DonQui would've been out of business within months.

The Pearl City Tavern closed it doors a few years ago too, and the monkey bar is gone.

They say a true kama`aina can give you driving directions in terms of places that don't exist anymore...

Funky smell - old popcorn and used humanity.

Or was that used popcorn and old humanity?

 

[Dawg52]

Lot of negative comments on Walmart here. Must be a lot of closet Walmart shoppers for them to do so well.

 

[W2R]

Um, ouch. That run ended a few years ago:
Honolulu Star-Bulletin News /2005/02/04/

After Holiday Mart went under to Daiei, Daiei ended up in bankruptcy and recreated themselves as "Don Quixote". (I don't understand why, but it's considered a good name at the HQ in Japan.) If it wasn't for Japanese cultural items that couldn't be found anywhere else on the island, DonQui would've been out of business within months.

The Pearl City Tavern closed it doors a few years ago too, and the monkey bar is gone.

They say a true kama`aina can give you driving directions in terms of places that don't exist anymore...


Or was that used popcorn and old humanity?

OMG - - I can't believe it! I used to love Holiday Mart (though my mother preferred sale days at Long's for some real bargains). I never went to the Pearl City Tavern myself, but a lot of guys used to hang out there back in the day. I thought it was there forever!

I haven't been back there since 2001, and I spent most of that brief week's visit with my mother. At that time, Oahu seemed like a patchwork of things that hadn't changed in fifty years and things that had. My memories pretty much filled in the gaps but often I could only find my way around by driving on instinct.

Guess Thomas Wolfe was right. You really can't go home again (except in memories).

 

[SecondCor521]

Lot of negative comments on Walmart here. Must be a lot of closet Walmart shoppers for them to do so well.

I shop at Walmart because they are close (<2 miles from my house), cheap, and have everything I need from groceries to clothes to toys and automotive stuff. But I hate it for the same reasons already mentioned: I never can find a decent parking spot, frequently enough they're out of at least one or two items on my list, the noises in the store are grating, the checkout lines are always way too long, and the employees all seem depressed.

There is a Fred Meyer that is a bit further away and probably more expensive, but they also have everything I need and the store was recently remodeled so it's really nice to shop there. I'm strongly considering switching if I can get over my cheapness gene.

2Cor521

 

[happy2bretired]

I shop at Target but not Walmart much, since it's so far away from my house. But, they are building a new Walmart about 1.5 miles from me, so hard telling what will happen when that opens.

I go to Sam's for most of my non-edible staples: toilet paper, paper towels, dish soap, washing powder, etc. But, I am questioning whether my $40 annual membership is worth it. When I go to Sam's I like to look at all the pretty jewelry...look and just walk on by, so far....but I like to look. You never know what you might find at Sam's so it FUN just looking.

I may decide to give up my membership at Sam's (or not) after they get the new Walmart built.

I just haven't been buying much of anything lately. Nothing I really need/want.

 

[unclemick]

Hmmm - 876 miles one way from my driveway to Winn Dixie in Covington, LA(across the Causeway from Metaire/New Orleans) several times a year to buy to buy a large supply of the lazy man's:

Blue Runner New Orleans Red Beans Spicy Cream Style.(mandatory).

Back Home there is:

Salvation Army(better selection than Good Will) and Tom's Used Tires for stuff.

Price Chopper, Aldi, Walmart, Hy Vee for food/ toiletries - depending on ads/coupons.

I haven't found any cool junkyards or second hand stores as favorities yet.

Time will tell.

heh heh heh -

 

[RunningBum]

Lot of negative comments on Walmart here. Must be a lot of closet Walmart shoppers for them to do so well.

I think this is another aspect where the people on this board are not typical of the population in general.

 

[Fireup2020]

Wal-mart has become a vacation joke for us. Was camping in Watkins Glen, NY...trying to set up camp in the dark...discovered we left the air mattress at a friend's house 6 hours south! Drove around for a while...discovered a 24 hr WM 5 minutes from a beautiful state park...he was able to snag the stuff we forgot (air mattress, COFFEE!!??, and a few little things). A few weeks ago in Newport, RI...similar thing...he needed a pair of shorts for the golf course, and I forgot some toiletry things...we just laughed and agreed since we were on vacation, we must shop at Wal-Mart! It is not as bad when you are giggling about the silly things ya forgot to pack!

 

[WanderALot]

We mostly shop at Target, but have shopped at Walmart when we are close to it. The Walmart is in a expensive upper middle-class suburb, but the quality of the employee definitely seems to be a little low.

Even some of their name brand stuff doesn't seem to be as good quality. For example, we bought these really good French chocolate butter cookies from there (Petit Ecolier) and they tasted a little stale. So I think we just stick to buying consumables, no clothes and no food. DW thinks their clothes are very poor quality.

Price-wise, they don't seem that different. Some consumables are cheaper at Costco, like dishwasher detergent, diapers and laundry detergent. There's a Sam's club close to our house that we went to with a friend's membership and man was that the worst store ever. Very poorly managed, stuff all over the place.

As others have said, Target makes me feel better about shopping there!