At which of these two retailers, Walmart or Target, do you prefer to spend your money? I had a recent visit to each, one after the other, and my customer experience tells the story.
The Walmart Visit
Recently I had to go out to pick up a few things, and remembered that I had a Walmart gift card. I normally don’t shop there too often, but a gift card is of course a good enough reason to visit a store! So, off I went to tackle that mini-shopping list.
As I walked into the local Walmart, I was immediately struck by downtrodden appearance of some of the other customers walking in. Not that there is anything wrong with people looking one way or another, but it was a different scene than what you’d see at other stores in this area. But, I’m not there for a fashion show; rather, I was there to save money!
So as I walked around the store, looking for the aforementioned items on my list, I noticed that the prices at the store didn’t seem incredibly low. Maybe some things were at prices comparable to those at other stores, but a few were certainly a little bit cheaper. Sure, I could probably save a few bucks here!
But the selection wasn’t great, and I didn’t find everything I wanted. Furthermore, the place was dirty. Floors didn’t seem all that clean, and I saw misplaced merchandise all over the place.
In the checkout line, I noticed that the cashiers didn’t seem too enthusiastic to be there. Some of the customers seemed to have an “edge” to them too, as I noticed one giving another a really dirty look for walking in front of him. The cashier in my line seemed quite annoyed at the lady in front of me who asked for a price check.
Meanwhile, there was a grown man in his 40’s waking around wearing pajamas. You know, just to add to the character of the place.
So I bought a few things and took off. Next stop: Target
The Target Visit
As I walked into Target, the first thing I noticed was the very new looking shopping cart. Much nicer than what I saw at Walmart. This was representative of the rest of place, actually. The store was cleaner than what I saw at Walmart.
In terms of selection, I found there to be higher quality merchandise at Target. The variety seemed greater, and the merchandise was organized better. Now, the prices were not always the same. Some things were comparably priced to Walmart, but it seemed like a few things might have been a little bit higher priced. Not a scientific study we’re talking about here, just some observations.
But the people were distinctly friendlier. No angry glares, and the cashier was relatively friendly too. I did get the standard question about whether or not I wanted to save 5% by opening a card, and I declined. There was even a pleasant reaction to that!
The Assessment
You know, I like saving money just like the next person. Ah, who am I kidding…..I probably like saving money more than the next person! But the shopping experience at Walmart is so dreary compared to Target, and for what I look for, the selection is not as good while price savings are not exactly drastic. I’ll take Target!
I’m sure there are some good quality Walmart stores out there, and in some less-populated areas they may be the only game in town. But customer experience matters, and that pushes me away from Walmart and toward Target or perhaps other alternatives.
My Questions for You
What are your thoughts about Walmart vs. Target?
Which store do you prefer?
Are you willing to spend a little bit more to have a better customer experience (cleaner store, better service, etc).
You’re right, of course, in your comparison of the two places. I don’t really find the Walmart in my town to be dirty or dreary, and haven’t noticed the staff to be particularly ill-humored, even though they are probably not the type of employee I’d hire, however, I have seen other customers who obviously don’t have a lot going for them. I don’t really like going there but have found substantial savings in areas such as toiletries especially. I like Target because they frequently have deals where if you buy two or more items on sale, you get a $5 or $10 gift card to use on a next purchase, so by using a coupon for a sale item and getting the card in return, it can be a pretty sweet deal. The sad reality is that without Walmart, many people who can’t afford to, would be forced to shop at stores that are much more expensive. There is room in the world as well as the need for both.
I think that your last two sentences make a really good point, and I’m glad you brought that up. I absolutely agree with you, that Walmart does serve a purpose in that regard, and there is room in the world for both stores for different reasons. Thanks for pointing that out.
The nearby Walmart is terrible. My biggest pet peeve is that there are always long lines and they never open more registers. Middle of the weekend, Black Friday, the night before the first day of school, it doesn’t matter. One time my wife convinced me that it wouldn’t be that bad, and she was wrong. While we were waiting in line they paged twice to have cashiers come up. Nobody ever did, so it was an obvious ploy just to placate angry customers, though they had no intention of actually opening up the registers.
They did recently put in a very nice U-scan area, which makes it tolerable to go in if I have an item or two to purchase, but I would never in a million years even consider going in for a full out shopping trip because the waiting in line would absolutely infuriate me.
So for us, it’s always Target over Walmart, though we have Meijer as well which is our top store of choice.
Ah, Meijer….haven’t been to one of those in a while, but when I once lived in an area with quite a few of them, I did like that store.
I’m all about Target. The Walmarts where I used to live and where I currently live are very dirty for some reason.
I hear you!
I’d choose Target over Walmart too, for some of the same reasons you mentioned. Overall cleanliness, customer service. etc. But the bottom line is I’d like to purchase items at the cheapest prices. So if I have to go to Walmart to do that I will.
Yes, it sure is a balance sometimes. Better customer experience vs. lower price….sometimes we just weigh one more than the other.
The Walmart nearest me is really nice. It’s new, it has a HUGE tree in front that they spared during construction with benches underneath that’s really pretty.
It has nice flooring, it’s clean and friendly. It even has a fresh sushi station and a pizza counter that sells pizza by the slice. It’s in an affluent area so the people all look gainfully employed and seem oriented to time and place, unlike most Walmarts, LOL!
I love it and prefer it to the Target down the road!
That sounds pretty nice! A fresh sushi station is something vastly different from the store near me to which I referred. Sounds like the type of store I’d also enjoy!
Luky you, the Walmart in my area it’s a getto in the middle of the neighborhood. To save me the agravation I go to the Target down the road.
Our local Walmart is very clean and most of the people who work there are nice. Our target is clean and the people who work there are nice also. I go early in the morning so I do not have much contact with other customers. I always fill out my shopping surveys and I have found Walmart responds right away and corrects any concerns.
I prefer Target because it isn’t as busy as the Walmart.
That’s a good reason!
Hands down without question its Target, it’s where I do 99% of my grocery shopping. Not to mention their deals are tons better. If you continue to shop there, sign up for the 5% red card, it’s NOT a credit card it just ties to your debit card, that 5% adds up. Also their cartwheel app is amazing and they allow stacking coupons (1 target coupon along with 1 manufacturer coupon)
Interesting, I did not know about the cartwheel app.
I prefer Target when I have a choice, because it just seems like you can get in and out so much quicker. It’s easier for me to find what I’m looking for and I don’t have to wait with everyone else for the one cashier that’s open (while looking down the length of the store at the 49 other cashier stations where no one is at).
Agreed, it just seems like a quicker visit at Target.
Walmart has its place, yes. There are just some things that will always be cheaper at Walmart. But, for my area, I prefer a trip to Target any day. I guess I’m an experience shopper. Though I may not buy anything because of the eye appealing merchandise displays, I still feel “enriched” just being able to enjoy seeing those things. Plus, at my stores, the employees are always friendly, and checkout is a breeze. Plus, strolling the back ends of the aisles is always fun, trying to score that perfect clearance find. 🙂 The best!
Those clearance finds at Target are enticing, no doubt!
I usually do my shopping online with walmart and then, in person at Target. I do not care for the stampede really at either store, moresoever with Wal-Mart. To save, it’s definitely Wal-Mart.
One thing I’ve noticed locally, with respect to the stampede aspect you mentioned, is that Target seems to have shorter check-out lines. Maybe that’s not the case everywhere.
Even our new neighborhood WalMart is depressing. Not as crowded but still stark. One thing I like about Target is the pharmacy reward program where you received a 5% discount for every 5 RX filled. Another thing look at the colors of the stores-Target is warm and lighting seems softer.
Totally agree that the colors seem warmer, and lighting softer.
I don’t particularly enjoy shopping anywhere, but the last time I went into a WalMart, I could not wait to get out of there. Everything about the experience there repulses me! I think one could make a silent documentary titled something like “America’s Decline” or “What’s Wrong with America” just filming in WalMarts. 🙂
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