Interesting editorial on why Target is better than Walmart

[Terminator]

Why Target is better than Walmart

I feel ill visiting Wal-Mart – Am I alone? Target doesn’t have this effect on me. I feel great in Target stores. 10 reasons why…

Crime
Why did the 911 hijackers buy their box cutters at Wal-Mart? Why do serial killers featured on Court TV buy duct tape and rope at Wal-Mart? Because they feel comfortable there. They’re with their people. Did you know (according to this study) the average Wal-Mart has almost 450% more police calls than the average Target store?

Target Doesn’t Destroy Small Towns
My parents live in the lake country of Northern Minnesota. It’s beautiful; please visit sometime. They live near Park Rapids (pop 3,300) and Wadena (pop 4,200), two quaint small towns about 30 miles apart. Wal-Mart is building a box store in each town. These cities have vibrant downtowns with ice cream confectionaries, candy shops, coffee shops, theaters, dime stores, bookstores, restaurants, and hardware stores. We know what happens when a box store opens on the edge of town, the downtown dies. Economists say that the little shops in town are economic dinosaurs. Maybe the economists are right, but I will still grieve the loss of these special places.

Target doesn’t build stores in towns with populations of 4,200 or 3,300 and it isn’t on their agenda (as far as I know).

Target’s Prices are Competitive
See the Cockeyed.com Comparison

I’ve Never Seen Anyone Wearing a NASCAR Shirt, Purple Sweat Pants, and Pink Fluffy Slippers at Target

Employees (An Anecdote)
Sunday Sep 10th 10:00 AM
Wal-Mart: I smiled at the people greeter. She didn’t greet me or anyone else. She stood there like a zombie looking straight ahead scowling.

After spending 15 minutes looking for a lunch box, I asked an employee where the lunch boxes were. She led us aimlessly around the store with no idea where they were. Eventually she asked another employee working at the jewelry counter, “Hey ya know where the lunch boxes are?”

She looked up from the phone, chewing her gum, said “Nope”, and returned to her telephone.

We didn’t find a lunch box.

As I left, I saw 25 checkout lanes. Two were open. The lines were 15 deep. After 60 minutes, I walked out empty handed and nauseous.

Sunday Sep 10th 11:15 AM
Target: The people greeter smiled and asked, “Can I help you?”

“Where are the lunch boxes?” I asked.

She whispered something into a microphone on her chest, paused, and said, “Behind aisle 8 against the back wall.”

Target had ten lanes open and two with no line. In less than ten minutes, I found what I wanted and left with a smile on my face.

I don’t know if Target offers higher pay or better benefits but I can tell that they attract different employees; employees that care. Wal-Mart employees appear indifferent.

Happy Customers
At the Target store near my home, I see energetic customers smiling, visiting, and laughing.

At Wal-Mart I see people moping around with frowns, yelling at their kids, and everyone looks depressed.

Cleanliness
In my experience, the difference in cleanliness between the two chains is dramatic, especially the bathrooms. I brought my son into the bathroom at Wal-Mart and it was so nasty I’ll never bring him there again.

Better Parking Lots
Wal-Mart: One way, narrow, and angled. I’d show you how bad it is but Wal-Mart could sue me if I post a picture of their store. Yet another reason to love ‘em.

Did you know that most Wal-Marts allow people to camp in their parking lots? Is that safe?

Target: Square, two way, parking lots which are safer and easier to navigate.

Positive Atmosphere
Wal-Mart’s atmosphere is cheap and crass.

Target’s atmosphere exudes progress and style.

Go to each store and soak in the whole scene and you’ll know what I mean.

Wider Aisles
Wal-Mart: I’d show you how narrow, crowded, and disorganized their aisles are but…Wal-Mart could sue me if I post a picture of their store.

Target: Wide spacious aisles

I have both a Wal-Mart and a Target five minutes from my house. There is no comparison in the shopping experience.

My first priority in life right now is to maintain a positive mental state. I’ve found it nearly impossible to maintain a positive mental state inside a Wal-Mart store. The place oozes negativity.

When I leave Wal-Mart I feel like I should go home and shower, like I’ve just visited a seedy porn shop or something.

When I leave Target, I feel energetic and I want to return.

Positive thinking tip:
Visit Target frequently and stay out of Wal-Mart.

This is an opinion piece, based on my personal experiences. I don’t work for Target. I don’t even own any Target stock.

[CountyFourteen]

If I go to either, I go to targets. My dad walks targets....they let him walk there due to it being a nicer place to be....of course they asked him not to pass it on to all the walkers at the mall or wal-mart....but hey, they still let him walk there.

[Jenna]

I used to shop at Target a lot as a child, but I've actually never stepped foot in a Wal-Mart (at least not in the US--I've been to one abroad just to see what it was like; didn't buy anything there, though ). Wal-Mart doesn't have a big presence in the cosmopolitan, pedestrian-friendly, deep-blue, super-urban areas I tend to live in or visit.

[Vendetta]

www.wakeupwalmart.com

[Emily]

There is a Super Target and a Super Walmart within 3 miles of each other here in my city. The local PD has their very own "Walmart Theft Sheets" in their station, if that tells you anything.

Also, the Walmart here has been overrun with non-english speaking customers. Is it in their culture to bring their children out at 2am? Because I've seen alot of that.

I'm always at Target.. I love that store.

[Virginian]

I prefer the people and cleanliness/organization of Target, but I hate the attitude. Bunch of liberal, tight pants wearing, greasy haired punk rock kids roaming around thinking they're better than the country people at Walmart. Which is why I actually shop at Walmart as often as I can stand it.

[Autumn2009]

I don't have a Target within an hour of me.

[TheOldRhino]

I'm a bicycle patrol officer. One day I stopped in Wal-Mart to refill my water bottle. As I was leaving- with my $2000 Trek bike in tow- the 193 year old door greeter actually stopped me, remember I'm in uniform, and asked me if I had a reciept for the bike.

True story. Ever since I stopped going to Wal-Mart. Eventually I told the lady "Look, if you think I'm stealing this bike, call the cops- when you do I'll be back up here since this is my zone anyway."

[lynnz05]

I love love love Target!

[Autumn2009]

I have many horror stories about Wal-mart, I hate that damn store. Ugh.

[Andrewtx]

Since I don't have a car, I can't easily get to either place anymore. But in Dallas, I always preferred Target but didn't mind Walmart. I suppose if I ran into a Walmart and a Target right next to each other I would choose Target, but otherwise the little things didn't bother me enough to keep me from going to whichever is more convenient.

[OffDuty]

Target donates 3X more than Wal-Mart

December 13, 2004 07:51 AM

I went to the grocery store this weekend. Usually I go to Whole Foods, but ended up at Ralphs. The Salvation Army bell ringer was driving me nuts. I got in and out of the store as quickly as possible, and didn't get a pie like I had intended because it was right near the door where the bell was constantly ringing.

So my ears perked up this morning when I heard that Target is in a bit of a flap because they banned the godawful annoying bell ringers from their stores. By comparison, Wal-Mart allows them to ring the bell for 14 days. Target claims to give $2 million a week back to the community.

So how does the charitable giving of Wal-Mart and Target stack up?

Well, this weekend, I also happened to hear a Wal-Mart ad bragging about this. They claim to give $5/sec. Target's $2 million a week works out to $3.30/sec.

That works out to $104,000,000 donations for Target and $157,248,000 for Wal-Mart. Indexing it to total revenue, Target gives $1 for every $444 spent at its stores, while Wal-Mart gives $1 for every $1,425 spent. Target donates 3.2X more than Wal-Mart, who donates less than 1 tenth of 1 percent of its revenue.

I know where I'm shopping, and I suggest the National Clergy Council call off its Target boycott. That whole, forest for the trees thing.

http://www.jimgilliam.com/2004/12/ta...an_walmart.php

[Ducky]

Sounds about right to me. I'll get canned goods and pet food from walmart and that's about it. Everything else I either get from the grocery store or Target. One of the most common refrains about shopping locally is that "the Aiken Wal-Mart SUCKS!" I can't go there without getting eye-slimed by scuzzbags of every background. At Target, I can actually let myself relax and enjoy looking at things.

[MissMyCaprice]

100% right. Target is classy. At Wal-Mart I am guaranteed to see three people I've arrested on any given visit, and sometimes the arrestee is an employee.

[Willowdared]

Tarshez is my favorite!

And the Salvation Army thing had more to do with getting rid of all the other beggers/scammers, then being anti-Salvation Army.

[Hannibal]

One of the few reasons I go to Wal-Mart is to buy ammo. I can buy Winchester 9mm and .40cal cheaper there by the box than if I made a bulk order. When I go, I buy them out of whatever I need (so as to avoid going back any time soon). We sometimes park the motor coach in a Wal-Mart lot to catch a nap while traveling too. The only other reason you'll find me there is because it is fun to people watch at Wal-Mart. I like to see how many mullets (including she-mullets) I can count on one trip.

Between Target and Wal-Mart, I choose Target hands down for a lot of the same reasons already mentioned. The only hang up I have is that I find that the Target stores closest to me draw a customer base and its employees from the city. I actually drive an extra 20 minutes to go to a Target, passing two on the way. I find that the stores are better kept and there are less screaming kids, less thugs, more intelligent, friendly/helpful employees. (Just my observations.)

I do, however, shop at Sam's Club on a regular basis. Costco is too far away to be a consideration.