Open chat / Someone else summed up why I hate Wal-Mart / Mileron 18 years ago

Someone else summed up why I hate Wal-Mart

http://www.steve-olson.com/10-reasons-target-is-better-than-wal-mart/

10 Reasons Target is Better than Wal-Mart
October 20th, 2006 by Steve ----Bookmark on del.icio.us----

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.
Target Parking Lot
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
Target Aisle
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.


Well said.

Temprah 18 years ago
BTW - I actually didn't mean that towards you Roz, there are a few peeps around who do like to jump on people besides you *hugs*
Vebran 18 years ago
Temprah;72531
Roz... I watch the news every morning, and believe me since Katrina there has been a sharp and dramatic increase in crime. A lot of it is directly attributed to evacuees by the media.


Not to lay on the sarcasm too thick, but I've never heard local news be sensationalistic or xenophoboic. Nope, never, ever, never. Not them. They are pure and impartial reporters of the full story that is disclosed after all facts are discovered or briefed to the press.

When you consider that half the time the weather is the big news in local news, amping up the violent crime angle is anything but the most accurate.
Larry 18 years ago
Honestly, I believe that if there were sites for all major retailers like the one I posted above, that the number of police calls to each location would be relatively similar, based on the relative location of each store. Of course, things like frequency or lack security patrols, and parking lot cameras, etc. need to be taken into consideration too. However, saying that the stats mean nothing is a little dismissive. If these are accurate stats, then it gives me a good idea of what stores I should avoid simply based on the the fact that I would rather shop at a store that only had 100 police calls for crimes over the course of a year as opposed to a store that had 1500 that was the same distance from me, just in the opposite direction.

I would imagine that criminals target parking lots because there is a high concentration of potential targets, and its easy to "blend in" in a parking lot environment. No one thinks twice about someone just sitting in their car (who is scoping out the lot looking for people to leave packages in their cars, or for the type of car that he and his buddy are planning to steal), or about the guy walking between the rows of cars (who was just testing every door handle of every car just before you came by).
Den 18 years ago
I only said the stats were worthless in that for all I know Target, K-Mart, and the mall are all receiving similar numbers. Without comparison stats, the ones for Walmart don't really tell me anything. How can you make an informed decision on where to shop, if you don't have all the information?
Larry 18 years ago
Shay;72567
for all I know Target, K-Mart, and the mall are all receiving similar numbers.


Isn't that pretty much what I just said?

Shay;72567
Without comparison stats, the ones for Walmart don't really tell me anything. How can you make an informed decision on where to shop, if you don't have all the information?


You can make a decision as to whether or not you want to risk shopping at that particular store, or even in that neighborhood based on the number of police calls that were made. I didn't say anything about choosing between Wal-Mart and Target or any other store.
Den 18 years ago
In the case of my zip code, the stores with the highest number of police calls are from the worst neighborhoods...logic and common sense would dictate not going to those stores. The stats are still not effective for me.
ROzbeans 18 years ago
I want to see Larry throw down. In the bajillion years I've known him, I've never seen him get angry. Just wait for me to pop my popcorn.


OK GO!
Larry 18 years ago
ROFL Roz!

Actually, I can happily accept that this isn't useful for Shay. There are many other people, I'm sure that share the same view. Other people, including myself do get some use from them though. There were even some on my list that surprised me, by having completely opposite numbers from what I would have expected based on where they are located.