[Wheatfield]

If a person really hates Wal-Mart, they should research what their loss leaders are (hint: the cleaning aisle and paper goods such as toilet paper and paper towels) and buy those items and only those items from them.

[jogiba]

I guess you love ExxonMobil screwing you at the pump to make their record profits. Walmart is the the biggest private employer in the world with over 2 million employees, and is the largest company in the world but only makes a fraction of the profit that ExxonMobil makes.

[K-9]

Indeed. It's a suck-a$$ corporation that mistreats its workers and buys politicians. Alas, it's also necessary for those with low incomes. Some foods, medicines, clothes, other basics cost twice as much elsewhere, from other mega-chains that are just as soulless. I doubt that many in USA shop at Wally's because it's such a nice place; rather, because we must.

Personal note: We were in Zacatecas Mexico awhile back. Astounding high-elevation city; downtown is at 8500ft / 2550m, with upper suburbs going to 10000ft / 3000m. We went to the lower suburb of Guadalupe for some necessities. There was a WalMart -- and it was the HIGH-PRICED store in town! Much better prices at domestic supers. Zacatecas is NOT a poor city -- but Wally's as the luxury brand?!? Ay yi yi.

Then we returned to the nearby village of Jerez where we rented a nice new house, with housekeeper, for US$80 per month. That's the cost of a couple bags of groceries at a USA Safeway super. Gotta keep all this in perspective.

It's not the best employer, but having a Walmart come to a dying town can provide hundreds of jobs to people who simply wouldn't have one otherwise. No, they're not exactly the most moral company out there either, but actually speaking as someone who has worked for several corporations that size they're no worse than some employers I've had from what my friends who work there have told me. Yeah, they put a lot of small businesses out of business. But so then does poor planning and poor customer service both of which I see far too often when I'm in small stores that should know better. I can't always get a knowledgeable sales person at Walmart and there are almost always far less cashiers, sales, and stock people than I'd like to see on the floor, but in the end I can get my info usually before I go and checkout and that's all I really need anyhow.

Walmart sells things that no one else in my area hardly sells. They usually (but not always) do it cheaper too and in the decade since I first stepped into one I think I can still count on one hand the number of rude staff people I've had to deal with and let me tell you in this area that's NOT the norm. 99% of the reason I shop at Walmart and places like it now is because when I do try to support my local businesses they'd treat me like crap and overcharge me on everything and frankly I got really tired of that.

Just to give you an example, and this is not an isolated incident. My local hardware store charges $8 for a can of this chemical I use that's half the size of the one I could buy at Walmart for $4. More than that when I went into the local place (closer to home) they couldn't be bothered to even point me to it on the shelf. It took me 10 minutes to find the same type of chemical there because it wasn't where I expected it to be. For those 10 minutes I was wandering up and down the aisles looking and no one even answered me when I tried to ask. They were too busy yacking on their cell phones and stocking overpriced goods onto the shelves to actually take care of the one customer that they had in the store. So I left and made the darned trip to Walmart and guess what? I was in and out in 20 minutes, paid half of what I would have paid at the local hardware store and actually got two other things I needed while I was at it.

and THAT is why 99% of the time I do end up at Walmart.

I've done my share of trying to support my local businesses, and I do make a point of still supporting the ones that make it worth my while, that actually try to keep customers happy, but you know what? My sympathy for a lot of local people is lessened a lot lately by the crappy service I get from them. No, I don't like a lot of what Walmart stands for, but the alternatives aren't so great either. No matter where you go anymore people just don't even care.

The local stores I do go to they've earned my loyalty. I'm not just a number walking through the door. They remember me, actually help me when I need it, make a real effort. The rest? I wouldn't really care if Walmart and Target came in, took up every other block, and kicked all of them out of business. At the rate they're going they'll all be out of business in a year or two and it won't be Walmart's fault either...

You both must obviously not have Targets in your areas. Everything at Walmart can be found at Target, for just as cheap. I guess if you have nothing but Walmart, that's understandable for getting some bargain household items. However, in my area, there is usually a Target within minutes down the street from Walmart and I will go to Target over Walmart every time. Same bargains, cleaner store, better company.

[eddie1960]

You both must obviously not have Targets in your areas. Everything at Walmart can be found at Target, for just as cheap. I guess if you have nothing but Walmart, that's understandable for getting some bargain household items. However, in my area, there is usually a Target within minutes down the street from Walmart and I will go to Target over Walmart every time. Same bargains, cleaner store, better company.

Target is opening in Canada soon (finally they bought most of a struggling chain from another company to get the outlets) So looking forward to seeing wht they offer

I'm not a walmart fan at all, but i like Wheat's Idea too bad i have to drive to the suburbs to do it and any saving is lost on gas. (but the warm fuzzy of costing walmart money to have me as a customer may be worth it)

[séamuis]

You both must obviously not have Targets in your areas. Everything at Walmart can be found at Target, for just as cheap. I guess if you have nothing but Walmart, that's understandable for getting some bargain household items. However, in my area, there is usually a Target within minutes down the street from Walmart and I will go to Target over Walmart every time. Same bargains, cleaner store, better company.

I have a wal-mart just down the street, and we also have a target and even a k-mart in the city, but the target is all the way on the other side of the city, so the extra money spent on gas actually makes awl-mart more economical. but whenever I find myself in need of such a store, I always choose to go to target. I have no idea if target is really that much better of a company, but I have to assume they don’t treat their employees nearly as bad, so I give them my business. I agree totally with the argument that many people rely on awl-mart despite the fact that their very reliance is stripping their community and the economy in general. I’ve always stood up for the idea of the local shops on main st. not the money hungry big corporations. especially one like awl-mart who use payouts to get money from the very towns they build in to cover building costs. i.e. they don’t often even pay for their buildings, the town does. and they pack up shop and leave a building nobody can afford to use, while reaping the millions off the people. awl-mart is a parasite, and as such I refuse to give them business. many poor people do indeed rely on them, but the only way to ever stop awl-marts foul ways is to hit them where it hurts. the bank account.

[Wheatfield]

I think it needs to be pointed out that if one company has more or less the same products as another company and is charging more or less the same price as the other company, they aren't going to be treating their people significantly better than the other company either.
Retail is a dog eat dog world where even a half percent of labour cost can mean the difference between keeping shareholders happy and having them invest somewhere else.
I know it's nice to dump on Wal-mart, but thinking that Target is any better is kidding yourself.

[séamuis]

I think it needs to be pointed out that if one company has more or less the same products as another company and is charging more or less the same price as the other company, they aren't going to be treating their people significantly better than the other company either.
Retail is a dog eat dog world where even a half percent of labour cost can mean the difference between keeping shareholders happy and having them invest somewhere else.
I know it's nice to dump on Wal-mart, but thinking that Target is any better is kidding yourself.

I dont imagine things are that much better,when one considers the line of business they are in, but there are other factors involved and beyond that, target and wal-mart aren’t really the same store. there is a difference in what they offer, how there stores are, and I’m willing to put a paycheck that there is a very real difference in how they treat their employees and the moral ethics in which they use to further their profits. it may not be night and day, but I’m wiling to bet there is a difference, and I would feel better giving my money to them than a company that I KNOW practices such foul business philosophies. sometimes you don't have much of a choice but to choose the lesser of two evils so to speak, so to live life under the impression that it doesn’t matter which you chose, as they are both foul, is to me a bit pathetic. sorry, I don’t mean to be outright rude, but if nothing else it helps to be aware that there may be a difference and you can help foster better conditions by at the very least choosing someone ‘slightly’ better than the other to give your money too.

[eddie1960]

Personally i doubt target is much different. I spent 23 or so years in various retail. Eaton's was the best to work for up until the restructuring, even after that it was second best. I understand when it re-opened under the sears banner it became hell to work at (and many people i know who went to sears left after a few years for smaller stores because they found the environment toxic)
I ended at Future Shop (later part of best buy) and was sold a bill of goods buy the HR person (whose office was beside mine at Eaton's) on how they wanted to implement all these changes....blah blah. I burned out 6 years in with 60-70 hour weeks and it actually had gotten worse in many ways for management when BB took over (it actually got a bit better for line staff though)
I now try to shop local as much as is possible (I'd have scurvy by spring if I went the whole 100 mile route ) and i buty from smaller guys where possible, Canadian owned next (this is getting tough in itself without shopping from small indies)
However this is easier for me than some as I have no kids, my house is paid for, and at 51 i don't consume at as high a level as i did when getting started. I also like to shop vintage shops so that makes saving money easier)
From having hired people away from walmart I didn't see much difference from working for BB aside from we were better paid (i lost 1/3 of my salary when i changed careers but i work 1/3 less hours as well)

Aside from staff treatment though there are lots of other reason's to hate walmart which in most cases won't apply to the competition

[Wheatfield]

I dont imagine things are that much better,when one considers the line of business they are in, but there are other factors involved and beyond that, target and wal-mart aren’t really the same store. there is a difference in what they offer, how there stores are, and I’m willing to put a paycheck that there is a very real difference in how they treat their employees and the moral ethics in which they use to further their profits. it may not be night and day, but I’m wiling to bet there is a difference, and I would feel better giving my money to them than a company that I KNOW practices such foul business philosophies. sometimes you don't have much of a choice but to choose the lesser of two evils so to speak, so to live life under the impression that it doesn’t matter which you chose, as they are both foul, is to me a bit pathetic. sorry, I don’t mean to be outright rude, but if nothing else it helps to be aware that there may be a difference and you can help foster better conditions by at the very least choosing someone ‘slightly’ better than the other to give your money too.

If you don't imagine, then you don't know.
If you are willing to bet, then you don't know.
Perhaps you should discuss what you do know.
Sorry, I don't mean to be outright rude, but lets not be pathetic in our thought processes.

[séamuis]

like I said, I’m aware there likely isn’t a huge difference, but I’m still willing to bet. I know first hand myself the perils of retail type work. my main source of income beyond my freelance journalist work is a mid level manager at Kroger, and they have gown so far downhill in recent years its almost unbelievable. so bad in fact that many long time managers (people who have worked for the company longer than I’ve been alive) have retired because they felt this company was losing everything it once stood for, and the reasons behind that? Kroger wants to compete only with, and be more like wal-mart. the only thing I’m thankful for anymore in terms of my employer is the good health insurance that still survives, of course you wouldn’t stand a chance of getting as a new employee anymore because they only hire full time workers when they feel the absolutely have to. you can actually make more per hour working at McDonalds than you can starting out at Kroger. Im not blind to the real nature of these big corporations, and so I'm aware that they all are pretty much greedy profit driven, but there are still lesser evils among them.

[séamuis]

If you don't imagine, then you don't know.
If you are willing to bet, then you don't know.
Perhaps you should discuss what you do know.
Sorry, I don't mean to be outright rude, but lets not be pathetic in our thought processes.

im willing to bet because I DO know how these companies work, as I have more than enough experience with them. I may not have experience with either target or wal-mart directly, but that doesn’t mean that my willingness to bet proves my outright ignorance. you can look to my post above as proof of both my experience and my knowledge of the industry, as there is little difference in the big supermarket industry and the big retailers such as these. sorry mate, but your consistent pessimistic attitude does not equal superior knowledge or a better justification for place of discussion.

you are little better than calling me dumb for believing there may be a difference so I choose one to dislike less than the other, and you base that off nothing more than assumption that I have no Idea what I’m talking about due to no experience or first hand knowledge, but you are VERY mistaken. I work in a near identical industry and have for years, and I now there is a difference in how other supermarkets treat their employees compared to my company and others, despite we all following generally the same line of profit driven ideals, some are worse some are better, and I believe that to likely be the case in terms of wal-mart vs tartget. if you disagree thats fine, but don’t assume others don’t know better and therefore have no place to speak because you think they are talking out of their ass.

[RioRico]

The nearest WalMart is not close (20 mountain miles, 1/2 hour); the nearest Target is far (75 more mountainous miles, 2 hours). We never live close to major shopping. Wallys is an unpleasant necessity.

[magkelly]

You both must obviously not have Targets in your areas. Everything at Walmart can be found at Target, for just as cheap. I guess if you have nothing but Walmart, that's understandable for getting some bargain household items. However, in my area, there is usually a Target within minutes down the street from Walmart and I will go to Target over Walmart every time. Same bargains, cleaner store, better company.

I have 3 Target stores locally to me and while they do stock a lot of the same stuff I can usually find some things at Walmart that I can't find at Target and vice versa. That being said my local Targets are almost always more expensive on a lot of things than Walmart, particularly food items. I do however like a lot of the Target Archer Farms stuff while there's almost nothing generic on a Walmart shelf that I feel is remotely safe to eat.

I like both stores. Frequent them regularly. I do spend a lot of time at my local Big Target actually. They have a slightly better toy section than at Little Target or Walmart and when you are a doll devotee that's important, who gets what first and how much they charge. Target always has better doll sales, but Walmart sometimes has dolls that the Little Target near me just doesn't stock. (ToysRUs is way across town, a major trip.) Big Target gets the dolls I like, and more importantly they get a lot of the little affordable things like Liv wigs, and Barbie clothes, but if I am going there I usually end up at Walmart anyhow. They're within a mile of each other. I always figure I might as well make it a double run and see who has what at the same time.

I also go to Target for my jeans, though not usually the rest of my clothes. Except for jeans I can never find anything that actually fits me right at Target. Sometimes T-shirts, but not often. Walmart has a brand of all cotton shirts that are cheap, that I like and that are very comfortable. They're not too ill made so often I get a lot of my tops there. Shoes are difficult for me. I have weird sized feet. I usually end up looking all over and buying in the boys department half the time to get shoes that fit me right. I usually end up at Walmart or Payless for shoes, though I have bought some shoes at Target too. Whatever fits, shrug.

They do have some cute sneaks but I rarely indulge in buying the sneakers I like. Too expensive, instead I just buy cheaper ones and paint them up myself. I do that to my jeans too. I'm a walking art project a lot of the time. It really depends upon what I am looking for. Target and Walmart are not interchangeable though I don't think. I also spend a lot a Big Lots, Goodwill. I usually shop there before I hit the Walmart and Target actually...

[Wheatfield]

but don’t assume others don’t know better and therefore have no place to speak because you think they are talking out of their ass.

I suppose my 9 years working for wal-mart doesn't count for much in your books, does it? Of course, I worked for the Canadian division, and they have to work within the scope of Canadian labour laws which are much more worker friendly than the mostly non existent protections that Americans have.
I don't think it makes all that much difference though, as all of them are in a race to whatever bottom exists within their jurisdictions.
What I've found is that the local management is what makes a store palatable or unpalatable to work for. One of the things that they all do though is hand out performance bonuses to the store managers who keep costs down. Unfortunately, about the only cost that a store manager can control is wages, since most of these places are now centrally managed for merchandise and the store has little or no control over inventory.
When I left wal-mart the store I worked at had pushed the labour percentage a little too hard and it was costing them. The major retail chain I work for now is doing much the same thing. It doesn't really seem to make a difference where you go.
But if you have a decent store manager, then an individual store within the company might suck less, a bad store manager will make it suck more.
A good wal-mart will be better than a sucky Target, and vice versa.

[JeffJS]

I tried checking the price of one of their TV's online. I'm sure you've all seen the sites that want you to put the item into your shopping cart to see the price. Well, Wal Mart has taken things a step further. You have to put it in your cart and then proceed to the checkout stage before even seeing the price. While you don't have to give any personal info before actually getting the price, you DO have to provide an email address. Just one more reason to go to Target or Target.com. I bet I will start getting all kinds of junk email from them now, just for seeing the price of their TV.

I use an email address that I consider complete spam for such things. It's probably packed because I've Never checked it.