Battle of the Big Stores: Wal-Mart vs Target

[epchick]

Originally Posted by PiKA2001

You know of someplace better than those two or the shop @ the Greenery? Please share.

There is Star Canyon Winery and Billy Crews, just to name a couple. The places are out there, you just have to look for them.

Not to mention the restaurants that actually serve wine.

[southbymidwest]

Target. Cleaner than Walmart. K-Mart stores here are just a mess.

[AOIIalum]

Target with Costco a close second. As a matter of fact, I was at Target yesterday and am probably going to Costco later today.

[chickenoodle]

Target all the way. The stores are cleaner, their employees at least pretend to care, and their sale prices are on par with Wal-Mart. I only go to Wal-Mart if I know the item I need is cheaper there than anywhere else, or if I need to stretch a couple bucks for grocery shopping. I absolutely despise Wal-Mart. It's always an unpleasant shopping experience.

[Senusret I]

I don't go to big box stores of any kind in person. They cause me a lot of anxiety.

I ordered one piece of my furniture from WalMart.

The rest came from Target.

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by 33girl

Well maybe, but don't you pretty much have to buy everything in bulk? If you don't have a large family, the cost of finding someplace to store it and the amount of wasted/spoiled food far outweighs the savings.

Not necessarily. A lot of what Costco has, particularly paper products, is bulk (or bulkier than a regular grocery), but not everything is. You can get meats, fruits and vegetable, bakery goods, milk, wine and that kind of stuff in manageable amounts.

Then there's electronics. We got a new TV there -- it ran about $100 less than what I could find anywhere else, and Costco automatically doubles the warranty, so we have a 2-year warranty on it. (90-day no questions asked return policy.) They also do glasses/contacts.

Finally, there's gas. Gas at Costco tends to run about $0.10 a gallon less than the lowest nearby station. We figure we make up lots of the membership fee just in gas.

[Nanners52674]

Target never wal-mart. We have BJ's as the closest so that's where I go for "bulk" stores.

[VandalSquirrel]

I split a Costco membership with my BFF. There are lots of things we split but I buy Dave's Killer Bread and freeze the second loaf. I got tires there for a steal, and the things you can order online are great as well. I also liked getting a year of generic Zyrtec for $13.

We have a Walmart in my town which I go to if I need something that can't wait for a trip to Spokane. Target is nice, but nothing beats Fred Meyer. My Northwest peeps (PeppyGPhiB, WCSWeet, Jill1228 formerly, etc.) know the amazing world of Freddies.

[tld221]

Originally Posted by 33girl

Target. K Mart also.

Originally Posted by southbymidwest

Target. Cleaner than Walmart. K-Mart stores here are just a mess.

If KMart can compete in this competition, I'm voting for Caldor. My NE GCers know what I'm taumbout.

[PeppyGPhiB]

I won't set foot into a Walmart. I love Target, however. I don't think we even have K-Marts around here anymore.

We have very few Sam's Clubs here in the Seattle area, since Costco HQ is here! Ahhhhh, Costco. Land of the best lunch deal - kosher polish dog + large soda for $1.50! You can get all kinds of stuff at Costco, including electronics, office supplies (printer ink!), pharmaceuticals and OTC stuff, appliances, jewelry, furniture, tires and auto supplies, not to mention the awesome baked goods (they have the best croissants), party platters, choice meats, birthday cakes, other food, and wine and beer! In some states you can buy liquor there at amazing discounts. And we just bought the travel package for our honeymoon from Costco Travel (they have their own travel agency)...basically got a killer rate on a nice hotel and a free car rental for two weeks. The trick with Costco is to go in with a list, and not deviate from it. I know a lot of people who split the packages, but I mostly just buy certain things there that I know I'm going to use a lot of, and that won't spoil.

ETA: VandalSquirrel, you know we love us some Fred Meyer!

ETAA: Costco is also known as a great place to work. They pay well and provide great benefits. So I like to shop there.

[BabyPiNK_FL]

TARGET SUCKS! My first job was actually a Super Target and while it's cleaner than Wal-mart and prettier, that's just not enough for me. My local Target refuses to hire enough cashiers so it's a decent wait even if I only have a few items and no one ever lets me skip, unlike at Wal-mart where people are apparently more courteous. Target also has a cashier with a disability who adds to the wait because he chats everyone up! I can't even go in his lane anymore because he won't stop talking and get me out of there.

If Target hired more cashiers so I didn't have to race a bia-bia with 60 things in her basket to the register to pay for my ONE item and get out I'd like it better. However, they don't care so they can suck it.

[IrishLake]

Meijer first, then Target. Our Kmart just closed up shop, but it wasn't worthwhile in the first place.

[pshsx1]

I prefer Wal Mart over Target, actually. Whenever I go into a Target, I feel like they don't have enough of anything. With Wal Mart, I can find everything under the sun, plus some, and it's all decently priced. I'm only speaking for the Targets and Wal Marts I have been to, though (all in heavy suburban areas). I am more impressed aesthetically with the Wal Marts around me in Texas than I am with the Targets around here. In Michigan, it's about the same for me.

When it comes to K Mart, I don't like shopping there anymore. All of the ones I stumble upon now (ever since they filed for bankruptcy and then resurfaced) look like they've been raided by rioters on the inside and still have their extremely 1980-90 look on the outside.

I love Meijer.

[knight_shadow]

Originally Posted by pshsx1

I prefer Wal Mart over Target, actually. Whenever I go into a Target, I feel like they don't have enough of anything. With Wal Mart, I can find everything under the sun, plus some, and it's all decently priced. I'm only speaking for the Targets and Wal Marts I have been to, though (all in heavy suburban areas). I am more impressed aesthetically with the Wal Marts around me in Texas than I am with the Targets around here. In Michigan, it's about the same for me.

When it comes to K Mart, I don't like shopping there anymore. All of the ones I stumble upon now (ever since they filed for bankruptcy and then resurfaced) look like they've been raided by rioters on the inside and still have their extremely 1980-90 look on the outside.

I love Meijer.

Co-sign with the bolded. I miss Michigan

The Wal-Marts in suburban areas are pretty standard. I only shop late at night, so there's rarely a long wait. The urban ones/neighborhood Wal-Marts are a little cleaner, but the selection is very limited.

The Targets look better depending on the area (I like the ones in the more affluent areas), but as others have stated, the selection is smaller than WM's.

For groceries, I like Tom Thumb, Albertson's, or Kroger (and HEB when I lived in central TX). They're usually out of the way, though, so I end up at WM anyway. For everything else, I'll try to go to a "specialty" store (ex. if I need kitchenware, I'll go to Bed Bath and Beyond).

ETA: Oh, and I think they closed all the K-Marts in my area.

[MUSK81]

Wal-Mart is better for groceries and day-to-day stuff, but for clothing and home decor type stuff, it's gotta be Target. I also shop at K-Mart quite a bit since it's closer to me than the local Target or Walmart. And ITA about Meijer. There was one where I used to live in Ohio - the prices were unbelieveable and I liked being able to get everything in one place (this was way before Walmart SuperCenter.)