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From local observations, the staff at Target are usually younger and more attractive than those in Wal-Mart.
The customers tend to be more affluent-looking too, and older in Target than in Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart tends to draw from the poorer half of local society, while Target the wealthier half, although a college-educated woman shopping at Wal-Mart or a single mother of three children at Target would by no means be unusual.
There's a difference here as well. I've never seen anyone at Target pay with a LoneStar card (food stamps) & pesos, like I see every time I have been to Walmart (3-4 times a year). Twice in the past year I have seen a customer check out & leave the store with a magazine in the cart they did not pay for. And it was Walmart where a woman tried to knock me down with her shopping cart to get ahead of me in line.
We have a similar situation with Costco & Sam's Club. Sam's tends to be packed with obese, shuffling people, while the Costco customers are better dressed & appear engaged with their activities--instead of the Walmart/Sam's zombie look. Didn't renew my Sam's Club last month.
Something of a disclaimer: I come from Minneapolis - Target's historic home and current roots/HQ. Go to Minneapolis and you will find Targets seemingly all over the place. Minneapolis culture is HEAVILY invested in Target - to the point the corporate sponsorships are heavily influenced by Target. The basketball stadium of the Minnesota Timberwolves is Target Center, a block away is the home of the Minnesota Twins (baseball) which is Target Field - and so it goes. A number of very noticeable downtown skyscrapers have Target logos. Lots and lots of people work currently for Target in some capacity or, like myself, worked Target as a high school job. Either that or they worked in the company that founded Target - the Dayton Department Store company (which eventually was sold off to Macy's by what became the Target Corporation). You have to go out of your way to be a native Minnesotan and not have an appreciation for Target - hence at least part of my preference of Target even though I now live in Texas. Walmart is closer to me and open 24 hours, but I will drive a bit further to shop at Target.
That said, the culture and philosophies of the two stores is very different - Walmart has always been about rock bottom prices and has been immensely successful at bringing the most merchandise to people at those rock bottom prices, which attracts everyone. Target, as evidenced by their own confession in a documentary type video by MSNBC on Target _Target Inside The Bullseye, confessed they had to differentiate themselves from Walmart. If they competed against Walmart purely on price Walmart would have long ago slaughtered Target (as they pretty much do against K Mart). Hence, the Target brand has always been a bit more on fashion and experience. The differentiation naturally draws a clientele that will, if necessary, pay slightly more for the relative fashion and experience (or at least be nominally less concerned about price).
From local observations, the staff at Target are usually younger and more attractive than those in Wal-Mart.
The customers tend to be more affluent-looking too, and older in Target than in Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart tends to draw from the poorer half of local society, while Target the wealthier half, although a college-educated woman shopping at Wal-Mart or a single mother of three children at Target would by no means be unusual.
I have noticed this too about the employees. I have been to Wal-Marts where it really looks like being extremely physically unattractive is a requirement to work there. On another thread I mentioned a Wal-Mart employee who looks like a monster more than a human, I highly suspect due to past meth use. I also see a very high prevalence of morbid obesity. Now part of this could be connected to Wal-Mart's famously low wages. Prettier people might have more options.
All that being said I am one person on this thread who admits to being a regular WalMart customer. I am very impressed with how cheap many of the products are, for example cat food. I don't think I really fit in with their typical customer base simply because I'm not rough-hewn. That's ok though I don't mind being around all types of different people. I'm not pretentious in the least.
Walmart is only about 1-4 cents cheaper than Target. Some thing cost $3.99 at Target, Walmart has it listed at $3.97, whoopie!
I don't go to Walmart very much because I find the whole place to be full of people of subculture. Some really wild and weird people roam the walmart store while just 1-2 miles away at Target you find some of the sweetest looking kids and family shopping for necessities or getting prescriptions filled.
Every time I checkout at Walmart, I get asked for ID with my CC. This is fine but I never get carded at Target.
So I'm fine with legions of weird people shopping at walmart, just stay there and keep Target clean and empty for my family and I to enjoy.
Yep, I stopped shopping at Walmart over ten years ago, shortly after the first time I was asked for ID with my CC. I have only been in Walmart a handful of times since then. Also I have never been asked by anyone standing at the door of a Target, to see my receipt.
I agree with those prices too. I'd guess that Target prices are probably 2% or 3% higher then Walmart.
For those few extra dollars, you get to shop in a nice clean store, with decent employees, and customers.
Some Targets carry high-end European-brand electronics, while Wal-Mart carries Chinese cr@p.
You might want to check the "Made in" markings a bit closer on those "high-end European-brand electronics" in Target. It's pretty tough to find electronics that aren't made in China regardless of brand name in a place as low-end as Target.
Target is definitely nicer than WalMart but that's not saying much. I haven't stepped foot in a WalMart for 12 years. The one near me is an abomination and there's no price low enough for me to subject myself to it. I've been to WalMart in other areas in the past (20 years ago) and it was fine, but I think the chain overall has moved seriously downhill as the country's economic prospects have slid.
I went to Target a few days before Christmas and it was awful. Long lines, most registers closed. I left without buying anything.
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