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As we all know people like to complain about why people shop at Walmart because they have foreign made goods that you can get elsewhere. On a thread in the Work and Employment forum, I replied to a poster who was saying we should buy more American. All well and good but look at the math of buying foreign made goods sold at your Walmart vs. buying American made goods through All-American Clothing.
$4.99 generic tee shirts made in a foreign country at Walmart vs. $9.99 American made generic tee shirts
$7.49 graphic tee shirts made in a foreign country at Walmart vs. $13.99 American made graphic tee shirts
$14.99 shorts made in a foreign country at Walmart vs. $43.99 American made shorts
$13.99 khaki pants made in a foreign country at Walmart vs. $48.99 American made khaki pants
$19.99 jeans made in a foreign country at Walmart vs. $48.99 American made jeans
$9.99 for six pairs of socks made in a foreign country at Walmart vs. $11.99 for three pairs of American made socks
Economics 101, people want the best bang for their buck. This is why in the 1970's and 80's the Japanese cars came into America. They were cheaper upfront and cheaper over the long time because of their better gas mileage. It is only recent that Ford and GM have gotten there (the same with Chrysler as it is owned by Fiat.)
The issue is in many cases you can get DOUBLE of the items at Walmart as you can for All American Clothing prices. Why would someone on a budget think it is better to buy one for the price of two?
The only reason I shop at WalMart is for sundry items like deodorant, toothpaste, etc. I buy my clothes at the thrift shop where I can get *very* nice items for a fraction of what they cost at WalMart, and they are usually much higher quality.
I like shopping at wal-mart, unless I'm buying steak. Then I go to places that sell angus beef.
I don't buy clothes at wal-mart... but lets face it. To those who say that they pay more for "better quality shirts that last longer", that's just BS. Face it, you pay more to look in style and wear a nice brand. Don't play it off like you're getting some high quality shirt that lasts a lifetime. We all see through your BS.
If you think that textiles are created equal, then you're delusional.
Due to price increases my wife and I mostly just visit WM for the things we need and can't find. The quality has gone to crap. So if we can buy it somewhere else, we do. Costco and Sam's club handle the majority of our food / regular consumption (ie tissues, tooth paste) need. Amazon handles most other things. If you need sheets for a bed, amazon absolutely destroys all competition.
Unfortunately, manufacturing in America isn't very feasible. We allow companies to import cheap crap made elsewhere with enormous loads of environmental hazards. We don't allow them to do these things in America, but if they pay someone to do it overseas, then it is "okay".
In many rural areas, it's Wal-Mart or nothing. I personally have never found Wal-Mart to have significantly lower prices than other stores, except maybe Publix (a Florida/GA chain whose prices tend to be on the high side).
Here in south Florida, we have many grocery options. I find that Aldi has the best prices but I cannot find everything there, so I combine shopping there with Publix, Winn Dixie and Whole Foods, depending on what I am shopping for.
The Wal-Marts here also tend to be in lower income areas, and it shows in the products and poor condition of the stores.
Oh, would you mind briefing me on the demo facts? Just curious. I might have even had this exchange with you before, but I'm thinking Walmart's customer base is different in your area than mine (lower Midwest). I'm betting the demo stats vary and I definitely see the Bay Area, especially their middle class, as being much more prejudiced against Walmart.
This is decent info. Basically the differences in the two stores are in median income and income. The median for Walmart is around $40k vs $60k for target. I forgot the college education stat.
I didn't experience Walmart until I moved to South Carolina. Target opened a few years after I lived there. As soon as it opened the higher income and more educated people switched. Walmart was for the "red necks" and "trailer park" people. But of course, most people there were lower income anyway so still most people went to Walmart. The lower income people who did go to target were status oriented.
Here in the Bay Area, Walmart is mostly for lower income people or conservative people. It is also a different vibe too. I went to Walmart this week. There were several people selling tamales in the parking lot. The Walmart in Pleasanton frequently had RVs parked. This doesn't happen at target.
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As for the rest of your post, thanks for being observant and honest. What you do when you get compliments on clothes from Target/JCPenney/Sears is funny and sounds kind of fun. I hope your snooty friends don't actually already know you got your clothes from a "lesser" store and are simply being polite. Oh, and it's funny that JCPenney and Sears are classic American stores, but I guess they are past their prime.
I am known for having a good eye. My friends invite me along to help them shop. Typically they get loads of compliments for stuff I pick out.
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I don't shop at either Walmart or Target often (I buy the bulk of my groceries at unionized locally-owned stores, which are very nice and have good prices), but go to both about equally. The last clothing I bought at Target were boxers, thinking they would be better than Walmart. At first, their brand, Merona, seemed to be better than the Hanes and/or Fruit Of The Loom sold at Walmart, but after the first wearing each pair the first time, I found out that's not true, but I still like the design better. My main issue with boxers is I don't want them too baggy or hanging off my ass, and the Merona don't do that when I first put them on, but do after wearing them only a very short time. I'm willing to pay more for boxers, but they're not something you try on, so I've avoided the gamble. The last clothing I bought at Walmart were white crew socks for tennis shoes in winter. I'm very satisfied with them and don't see any room for improvement.
I do not typically buy food at either. Except for the case I am there and need something packaged. I go to target for toilet paper and the like. And sometimes I'll grab yogurt or bananas or chips at target. I stick to local indie stores, trader joes and whole foods for groceries.
I shop there for selection (Walmart has items that are hard to find) and price.
Me too.
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The last clothing I bought at Walmart were white crew socks for tennis shoes in winter. I'm very satisfied with them and don't see any room for improvement.
