Target and Walmart are the kings of the average-man suburban retail. They hold no significant value except that they are readily available for anyone to shop at. Now, our job is to examine the pros and cons of each, so you can choose which one you want to go to next time. In one corner we have the Ma and Pop Destroyer, Walmart! In the other corner, we have the worst store to shoplift from, Target! Some of you may have assumptions in your mind already, but please keep an open mind and hear all the strengths and weaknesses of these fine, exquisite establishments before you decide.  

Many people like Walmart because of the convenience with more Walmarts in general that are around our area. Walmart is also known for its low-cost products designed for anyone to shop there. Walmart has a lot of convenient services like curbside pickup and online ordering. Walmart is one of the biggest employers in the world; which means it has many job opportunities for local people. Walmarts have also mostly replaced the regular checkout lines with self-checkout lines making it easier for the customer. Walmart also has high-end groceries and a bakery to provide better products for the common person. Not to mention most Walmarts are open 24 hours a day so everyone can get what they want when they need it.  

Others like Target, because they feel that there is a better quality associated with it. Target tends to lean more towards “new” or “trendy” styles and items, which may appeal better to younger customers, as well as older ones. Target is also known to have a larger variety of items, instead of just basic stuff you’d normally see at a retail store. They have more of a general assortment, with things that you’d put in and see in a bedroom, a kitchen, living rooms, bathrooms, you get the point. They also tend to focus on sustainability. Now, are there benefits to only the customers? Or are there also benefits to the workers? Well, yes my friend, there are pros to working at Target. These include things such as store discounts, health coverage, flexible work hours, and good pay. So, it seems like a pretty cool place, huh?

The obvious problem with Target is that they aren’t nearly as accessible as Walmart or other stores. The closest Target in my area is nearly half an hour away, while the nearest Walmart is just under 15 minutes away, which is an easy no-brainer for most people. The vast majority of Walmarts are open 24 hours a day, and if they aren’t, they close at 11 pm. The vast majority of Targets aren’t open 24 hours, and they close at 10 pm. If you are ever in need of an inflatable Christmas bear in the middle of the night Walmart will come through, but Target might not. Walmart also doesn’t try to be something it’s not; We all have an image of Walmart shoppers in our heads, and that’s okay because Walmart knows it and doesn’t try to hide it, unlike Target, which gets the same types of customers and is ashamed of it. 

There are plenty of cons involved with Walmart’s existence. For instance, they have been accused of purchasing items from companies that have controversies surrounding them. One such example comes from Milwaukee Tool, a manufacturing company based in Wisconsin. Walmart used to stock items from them, until around a year ago. It was discovered, that Milwaukee Tool had been allegedly using forced Chinese prison labor. Another big issue is Walmart’s monopolization in the economy and the removal of smaller, local businesses. There have been numerous examples of this happening, where a Walmart gets built in a small town, and sells everything that smaller businesses sell, just cheaper and more accessible. Another big issue is their busting of unions. Walmart would rather close some stores than let a group of workers form a union, a particular predatory practice indeed; I do propose that we prevent them from being a prominent proponent in future pastimes, which is probably a pretty good purpose to protect, and Walmart is a profound plague on our perfectly present property we call this planet. 

In the end, it’s up to you to decide which one is better. We have given you the pieces, now you have to solve the puzzle we call Target vs. Walmart. In all honesty, we both prefer Walmart, but we see the appeal of Target. Target may very well be more convenient to access for some, just not us. But the real question is do you need to choose?