Target & Wal Mart are basically the same place. I don't get why you could prefer one or the other with absolute certainty. Target is just more expensive, which helps keep poor people out. I guess if you don't like being around poor people than Target is your kind of place.

Not really sure how to respond to that comment so I won't. I will say that I find Targets to be cleaner, have better stock like housewares and food items, the aisles aren't as clogged and you generally don't have long lines to check out.

Target is making margin off marketing and perception. All those things you've noted just can't be backed up by facts. I go to stores to buy something, not to hang out. Walk mart has same quality with better prices. That's all I'm gonna say.

At all? That's a bit ridiculous if you don't think wal mart or target don't share ANY characteristics. They are direct competitors.

They sell the same exact stuff, baring a few different brands yet direct substitutes. I'd even argue that Wal Mart sells a brand of anything that would be = or greater value than what Target sells. The only difference is Wal Mart typically has multiple choices in branding for the same thing depending on what quality you prefer.

Target usually has greater customer service. Which I guess could be worth the extra costs for the 1 minute you actually have to deal with somebody in the store.

No offense, but I can only assume you're quite young or incredibly ignorant to the real world.

Wii is a competitor of XBox and PlayStation. Wii is not the same thing as Xbox or PlayStation.

Reebok is a competitor of Nike. Not the same thing.

I can go on.

Competition is competition and there's superior competition and inferior competition. Walmart is inferior competition to Target.

Clothes are clothes. Brands are what matters. Look and design are what matters.

That goes for everything sold at both stores. Quality is what matters, not quantity.

Target is making margin off marketing and perception. All those things you've noted just can't be backed up by facts. I go to stores to buy something, not to hang out. Walk mart has same quality with better prices. That's all I'm gonna say.

They don't have the same quality which is why they offer lower prices.

Economics 101 should be that difficult for you to comprehend.

Walmart target demographics is the lower middle class and below while Target's desired demographic is middle class and above.

It's that simple.

They're not the same thing just as McDonald's and Five Guys are not the same thing even though they both sell burgers and fries.

^
Back in the aughts, when Wal Mart was really ramping up things, Target made a decision that they were not going to compete with WM on price, but rather perceived quality. K-Mart decided they would try with price...guess who won that battle? And true, most of what Target sells is the same brand of toilet paper, electronics, and assorted cheap Chinese made crap that Wal Mart sells, but they glam it up just enough to attract a more affluent customer. And it shows in their stores.

For the record, I am not militantly anti-WM. The one thing that may keep this WM okay is it is somewhat off the beaten path, and the locals in this area are pretty affluent. Then again, WM has an odd ability to attract certain people from far reaches, like moths to a light.

How much are you willing to spend to avoid pushing your cart around boxes in the isles? $500, $600, $700 a year?

How much are you willing to spend to avoid pushing your cart around boxes in the isles? $500, $600, $700 a year?

Drop the gym membership, push a few stacks of boxes out of the way ... it's a wash. Plus, the boxes make handy dandy perches to garner a peep of WM photo to add to the global collection.

They don't have the same quality which is why they offer lower prices.

Economics 101 should be that difficult for you to comprehend.

Walmart target demographics is the lower middle class and below while Target's desired demographic is middle class and above.

It's that simple.

They're not the same thing just as McDonald's and Five Guys are not the same thing even though they both sell burgers and fries.

No, they don't. They have a higher perception of quality. Which still works the same in basic economics, but you know that already.

And no, McDonald's and five guys sell different products. Target and wal mart sell the same branded products, in the same packaging, only target sells theirs for more. Both stores have a small number of exclusive brands. Walk mart, in fact, has many more and offers more SKUs in general. And yet they still have lower costs!

Listen, I hardly shop at either. But if I did you are going to get the most out of your money at wal mart without sacrificing any quality.

How much are you willing to spend to avoid pushing your cart around boxes in the isles? $500, $600, $700 a year?

The prices are not really that far off and it depends on what you are shopping for. On average, Target is 1-4% more expensive. However, there are a lot of items that Target is cheaper on also. So you would have to spend over 10,000 a year to get anywhere close to your numbers (@5%...would be $500). However, I never said it is about prices...it is about having wider aisles, a cleaner store, better products and less lines at the checkout.

https://edmundelsesser.wordpress.com/2014/04/01/walmart-vs-target-grocery-shopping-comparisons-2014/

Kantar Retail Study Asks: Which Is Cheaper, Target Or Walmart? (http://tcbmag.com/News/Recent-News/2014/March/Target-Vs-Walmart-Which-Is-Really-Cheaper)

But I wonder though will they keep the Newcastle store open or will they close it and relocate to the new store??
There is more than enough customers for all these Walmarts to stay open. I would even say at some point Walmart will start looking for a second Moore location somewhere on the east side as Moore grows.

The prices are not really that far off and it depends on what you are shopping for. On average, Target is 1-4% more expensive. However, there are a lot of items that Target is cheaper on also. So you would have to spend over 10,000 a year to get anywhere close to your numbers (@5%...would be $500). However, I never said it is about prices...it is about having wider aisles, a cleaner store, better products and less lines at the checkout.

https://edmundelsesser.wordpress.com/2014/04/01/walmart-vs-target-grocery-shopping-comparisons-2014/

Kantar Retail Study Asks: Which Is Cheaper, Target Or Walmart? (http://tcbmag.com/News/Recent-News/2014/March/Target-Vs-Walmart-Which-Is-Really-Cheaper)

Target sells better products and has more cashiers. There are better stores for buying groceries or clothes, but for a "one stop" store it is a lot better than Walmart.

No, they don't. They have a higher perception of quality. Which still works the same in basic economics, but you know that already.

And no, McDonald's and five guys sell different products. Target and wal mart sell the same branded products, in the same packaging, only target sells theirs for more. Both stores have a small number of exclusive brands. Walk mart, in fact, has many more and offers more SKUs in general. And yet they still have lower costs!

Listen, I hardly shop at either. But if I did you are going to get the most out of your money at wal mart without sacrificing any quality.

It's literally like a wall. I'm arguing with a wall. Also, Wal-Mart not walk Mart. That's the third time I've seen that.

Target sells better products and has more cashiers. There are better stores for buying groceries or clothes, but for a "one stop" store it is a lot better than Walmart.

Target has ceiling titles and doesn't go cheap and leave the ceiling exposed like Wal-Mart. That's literally all that needs to be said about the two.

A family of 4 can and will buy $10,000 worth of products that could be purchased at wal mart or target.

But my original point is that I don't see the drastic benefit of shopping at target that you'd completely turn your nose up at wal mart.

A family of 4 can and will buy $10,000 worth of products that could be purchased at wal mart or target.

But my original point is that I don't see the drastic benefit of shopping at target that you'd completely turn your nose up at wal mart.

That is where you make an assumption. I will drive by Walmart on 104th if one is built to Crest everyday as they are a true grocery store and have much better selection. I prefer Target over Walmart but I go to Walmart probably 3-1 over Target as it is easier to go down to Tricity than it is to go over to Fritts farms. So get off your high horse as it has nothing to do with turning one's nose up or not wanting to be around poor people. I also go to Family Dollar on Classen as it is close to downtown but there isn't any poor people there so it's ok...they all shop at Dollar General.

A family of 4 can and will buy $10,000 worth of products that could be purchased at wal mart or target.

But my original point is that I don't see the drastic benefit of shopping at target that you'd completely turn your nose up at wal mart.

in a vacuum, if someone offered you a Lexus or a Volkswagen, which would you choose? They're both vehicles. They will both get you were you want. But I'm all honesty, which one would you choose?

In a vacuum, if someone said we are going to build either a target or a walmart at this location, which one would you choose?

People dislike walmart not because they're a competitor to targt, not because they don't sell everything Target does but because of the stigma they've helped create over the last twenty five years.

They cater to a certain demographic, they pay poorly and offer little to no benefits in the pursuit of a profit, they penny pinch in almost every facet and until recently didn't care about their grey and blue dull image that screamed "depressed".

A stigma whether true or not, whether rightly earned or not, is still a stigma. One that Wal-Mart will have a very touch time losing.

FfgbQakINfE

Target sells better products and has more cashiers.

It's interesting that you should say that because my biggest complaint about Target compared to Walmart has always been the lack of checkout stands and cashiers.

FfgbQakINfEYou really like that documentary, eh. . .

It's interesting that you should say that because my biggest complaint about Target compared to Walmart has always been the lack of checkout stands and cashiers.

Well, I guess it's different on the sides of town we live on. Walmarts selfchecks out are faster when they actually work.

This intersection is going to be horrible if this actually happens.:mad:

I strongly prefer Target but I've never seen one with self checkout.

The last couple of times I've been in, I've had to wait forever to buy just one or two small things. Makes it not worth going in at all.


Also, some time ago Target changed their store layouts where now you enter at one corner, and most the things I buy are at the far other corner. I know they do this to make you walk past all their clothing and other items, but it's a huge pain in the butt when you only need a few things.

They didn't used to be that way... Used to have a couple of entrances. I'm sure the change was for this particular purpose but that and the lack of self-check means I almost never go in a Target anymore and I think I've been in a Walmart just a few times in my life.

I never use self checkout anymore. There is always some item that won't scan or is the wrong price and never anyone around to fix it. Once I waited 5 minutes for someone to help me before I finally walked out. That and self check also takes away jobs. It has come to a point that if there are no actual cashiers I will walk right out. It used to be that the best time to shop was on my way home from work but with most Walmart's eliminating cashiers late nights, now I shop for most things at Crest and whatever Crest doesn't have I will go to Walmart to buy those couple items and hope that they have a cashier open. I wish Target was 24/7, I would go there instead of Walmart in a heartbeat.

I don't use self check either. The more demand for checkout lanes, the greater demand there is for having actual employees on the payroll.

If we went to total self check in some of the large big box retailers, hundreds of thousands or even millions of people would again lose their jobs to automation.

Automation creates tons of high-paying jobs and reduces costs that are passed onto the consumer.

The grocery business uses tons of automation (like bar codes, automatic inventory, etc.). Should we go back to the time when everything was priced with a manual price tag and gun, and items counted by hand? Stores sure needed more employees then.

The fact that the consumers can easily check out themselves demonstrates how little real value these positions are providing.

Self check-out is still relatively new and there are some bugs but I use it almost exclusively at Ralph's (Kroger) and I almost never have a problem. In fact, I go to Ralph's because they offer this while the neighboring Vons does not.

For the record, Hobby Lobby uses the old way. And seems to be okay with using little price tags on items.

I disagree that automation creates a ton of high paying jobs. It may for initial software development, but once the software and hardware are created those jobs go away and a small support team remain. The point of automation is to reduce jobs, not create them. If they existed to create jobs, well they wouldn't exist.

It's all about long term cost. A multi million up front can save billions long term. And that's what these companies care about. Cost saving as the expense of our middle class.

Walmart, jobs and the rise of self-service checkout tech | Computerworld (http://www.computerworld.com/article/2494214/retail-it/walmart--jobs-and-the-rise-of-self-service-checkout-tech.html)


Tech vs. jobs

"People are not getting enough hours now, and when we have the self-checkout, people are going to be getting even less hours," said Janet Sparks, a Walmart customer service manager at a store in Louisiana who is also involved with Organization United for Respect at Walmart, a group supported by the United Food and Commercial Workers union. She believes understaffing creates demand for self-checkout systems.

Automated self-checkout "does eliminate jobs, there's not much question about that. The question is how many?" said Frank Levy, an MIT professor emeritus of urban economics.


Levy sees self-checkout automation as the next wave of technological change in this area, the first being barcoding. Barcoding improved the volume of work a cashier could handle. The question is whether there is offsetting job creation to make up for job losses due to automation.

In general, if computerization enables you to lower prices to stimulate more demand, employment will rise, he said.

But checkout cashier salaries are just a small part of the cost of groceries, said Levy, who doesn't believe the labor cost savings will have much impact on prices.

"What kinds of job creation is the economy going to see in other areas that might soak up labor, as opposed to just driving down the wages so cheap so that you get more jobs created that way?" said Levy.

Producing the automated systems will create jobs, but Levy said that the net overall effect may be job loss. "We should be thinking about it as a big problem," he said.

Central Oklahoma should honestly try to establish rules preventing retail monopolies that don't just squeeze out mom and pops but primarily leave the state riddled with abandoned surplus strip malls and Walmarts.

Central Oklahoma should honestly try to establish rules preventing retail monopolies that don't just squeeze out mom and pops but primarily leave the state riddled with abandoned surplus strip malls and Walmarts.

I second this.

Yeah, we should totally get rid of free markets & capitalism....

I recommend you looking up the definition of monopoly. Being price competitive by utilizing economies of scale does not = monopoly.

That's just crazy to say that Target and Walmart aren't the same. Just because you hate Walmart doesn't mean they're not similar to your favorite store.

I go to Walmart (in Mustang, where I live) for the cheap prices, period. I go to the Target in MWC on my lunch hour sometimes to waste time. Unless they're having a sale, they are always more expensive. Not to mention, I think they only have 8 or 12 registers altogether. Walmart has over 25 and most of them are usually open. Idk when y'all go to Walmart to say they're never open.

I just don't understand the hatred people have for Walmart. People always gripe about them running mom and pop stores out. Well there's only one reason for that: everyone started going there instead. That's not Walmart's fault, that's the people's. Yes, there's some nasty people who shop there sometimes but I just don't care. I'm not there to socialize, I'm there to shop. My Walmart in Mustang is nice anyway.

I think it is safe to say the products at Target and Walmart are the same, but the attitude of the employees, ease of checkout, etc are better at Target and I don't even think there's a question about it.

That's just crazy to say that Target and Walmart aren't the same. Just because you hate Walmart doesn't mean they're not similar to your favorite store.

I go to Walmart (in Mustang, where I live) for the cheap prices, period. I go to the Target in MWC on my lunch hour sometimes to waste time. Unless they're having a sale, they are always more expensive. Not to mention, I think they only have 8 or 12 registers altogether. Walmart has over 25 and most of them are usually open. Idk when y'all go to Walmart to say they're never open.

I just don't understand the hatred people have for Walmart. People always gripe about them running mom and pop stores out. Well there's only one reason for that: everyone started going there instead. That's not Walmart's fault, that's the people's. Yes, there's some nasty people who shop there sometimes but I just don't care. I'm not there to socialize, I'm there to shop. My Walmart in Mustang is nice anyway.

Holy crap, somebody with basic common sense! I thought I fell in to some kind of weird target twilight zone.

All Wal Mart does is employee 100's of thousand of people & offer the absolute lowest price to the consumer & they get hated for it. Blows my mind. If you want to spend more money, that's fine with me. It is your money after all, but don't say I didn't try to talk you out of it.

This is why people know (not think, know) Wal-Mart is bad, it's a long read, but lays it *all* out, not just the low wages and killing mom-and-pop stores.

Criticism of Walmart - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Criticism_of_Walmart)

In fairness, they are changing some of their policies, but they're still not model global corporate citizens by any stretch of the imagination.

I am more against Wal-Mart in places where it is or is nearing a monopoly. The supercenter saturation in OKC is beyond overkill at this point.

This is why people know (not think, know) Wal-Mart is bad, it's a long read, but lays it *all* out, not just the low wages and killing mom-and-pop stores.

Criticism of Walmart - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Criticism_of_Walmart)

In fairness, they are changing some of their policies, but they're still not model global corporate citizens by any stretch of the imagination.

I don't think anybody's nominating them for prom queen, but the "facts" that people "know" are part and parcel of the American culture very profitably executed on a grand scale at WalMart, but there are other places, too. I wonder why WalMart is the target of our desire to kill the ugly side of American culture but not ... McDonalds (or any other fast food giant)? Don't think they (or their colleagues) are radically different. Target? What they do is OK since it's a different color scheme and it's a perceived (marketed) higher quality product. SuperCuts or any of the hair care chains? AMC or any of the movie theater chains? Six Flags or Universal Studios? Harrah's or any of the casino industries?

I am more against Wal-Mart in places where it is or is nearing a monopoly. The supercenter saturation in OKC is beyond overkill at this point.

I posted the news about this new location on Facebook and there were tons of comments about how this was needed because the existing locations at I-240 and the other in Moore are slammed with business.

The bottom line is that if there wasn't demand, they wouldn't keep opening them.

And Target or anyone else could open at this location but chose not to.


I choose not to shop in Walmart because I don't like the stores but I would never be for regulating them or any other retailer. Once you start tinkering with the free market system there are all types of unintended ripple effects.

You could also make a very strong argument that being able to choose to shop at Target or WinCo or Kroger or Crest or Costco (as I do) and still pay very good prices is directly to the competition brought on by Walmart.

I don't think anybody's nominating them for prom queen, but the "facts" that people "know" are part and parcel of the American culture very profitably executed on a grand scale at WalMart, but there are other places, too. I wonder why WalMart is the target of our desire to kill the ugly side of American culture but not ... McDonalds (or any other fast food giant)? Don't think they (or their colleagues) are radically different. Target? What they do is OK since it's a different color scheme and it's a perceived (marketed) higher quality product. SuperCuts or any of the hair care chains? AMC or any of the movie theater chains? Six Flags or Universal Studios? Harrah's or any of the casino industries?

Because of the scale that Wal-Mart works on? 900 lb gorilla... Because Target doesn't pay their workers so low they have to rely on food stamps and donations to get by? Because of Wal-Mart's aggressive expansion tactics (I don't believe SuperCuts came in to each city/town/village and put tons of local barbers out of business)? Can't say much about McDonald's, except that I think I've heard that because of all the beef they use, there is deforestation happening way more than it should. There's not a Six Flags that came into hundreds of cities and put the local amusement parks out of business, same for AMC, Harrah's, etc.

Having said that, America is way too full of chains that are gigantic and not playing nice with the rest of the country, and we all suffer for it.

Because of the scale that Wal-Mart works on? 900 lb gorilla... Because Target doesn't pay their workers so low they have to rely on food stamps and donations to get by? Because of Wal-Mart's aggressive expansion tactics (I don't believe SuperCuts came in to each city/town/village and put tons of local barbers out of business)? Can't say much about McDonald's, except that I think I've heard that because of all the beef they use, there is deforestation happening way more than it should. There's not a Six Flags that came into hundreds of cities and put the local amusement parks out of business, same for AMC, Harrah's, etc.

Having said that, America is way too full of chains that are gigantic and not playing nice with the rest of the country, and we all suffer for it.

At Payscale.com, the average hourly wage for a cashier at Target is in the $7.43-$10.08 range while the average hourly wage for a cashier at WalMart is in the $7.50-$10.69 range.

Because of the scale that Wal-Mart works on? 900 lb gorilla... Because Target doesn't pay their workers so low they have to rely on food stamps and donations to get by? Because of Wal-Mart's aggressive expansion tactics (I don't believe SuperCuts came in to each city/town/village and put tons of local barbers out of business)? Can't say much about McDonald's, except that I think I've heard that because of all the beef they use, there is deforestation happening way more than it should. There's not a Six Flags that came into hundreds of cities and put the local amusement parks out of business, same for AMC, Harrah's, etc.


This.

Wal-Mart is a bully that seeks to dominate and force out existing businesses so people will have no choice but to shop there. Neither Target, AMC, or SuperCuts operate that way. I believe its been statistically proven that every time a Supercenter opens, at least one or many times two nearby traditional grocery stores close their doors (I will be very surprised if Homeland at S 104th and Penn survives this Wal-Mart). When Wal-Mart closes older locations they sit on the real estate as to keep competition from coming in. Also, compare a typical shopping center anchored by Wal-Mart to one anchored by Target (or Kroger or Tom Thumb) and make note of the differences. Wal-Mart is a business and everything they do is within the confines of the law, but that doesn't mean that I, as a consumer, have to like it.

If municipalities were smarter or less corrupt (not sure which) someone would hold WalMart accountable or restrict them. Who lets this bully into the party and pays for his admission fee? If these fabled mom and pop stores that go extinct when WalMart comes into an area were so great, why did they not compete? There are enough people out there that dislike WalMart that if the competition were there, WalMart would have to adjust their tactics.

If municipalities were smarter or less corrupt (not sure which) someone would hold WalMart accountable or restrict them. Who lets this bully into the party and pays for his admission fee? If these fabled mom and pop stores that go extinct when WalMart comes into an area were so great, why did they not compete? There are enough people out there that dislike WalMart that if the competition were there, WalMart would have to adjust their tactics.

They *couldn't* compete - economy of scale. How can one store buying hammers from Acme Hammer Corporation get anywhere close to selling them for a price that Wal-Mart has them at (since Wal-Mart probably bought 4 million hammers from Acme at 1/10 the price the mom-and-pop did)? Wal-Mart forces their suppliers to a price level so low that some cannot stay in business any longer, they tell the suppliers what price they need to sell their products to Wal-Mart for and if they can't do it, too bad, Wal-Mart goes elsewhere. That's the way it used to be and most likely still is.

At Payscale.com, the average hourly wage for a cashier at Target is in the $7.43-$10.08 range while the average hourly wage for a cashier at WalMart is in the $7.50-$10.69 range.

Found these while poking around:

Target -- The Emperor Has No Clothes! | Ralph Nader (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ralph-nader/target-walmart_b_4254981.html)

Why Aren't Target Employees Striking Like Their Cousins At Wal-Mart? (http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2013/11/16/given-walmarts-woes-why-arent-target-employees-str.aspx)

Apparently Target workers get paid less, but are happier, but both corps suck when it comes to paying enough for workers to stay off public assistance.

Per the NewsOK article, Wal-Mart has 8 more stores for OKC planned over the next two years. I can't imagine that they would all be Supercenters, but I wonder if that will be enough to finish off Homeland. Does anybody think that is overkill? They must be really scared of Winco entering the market.

Somebody in the 499 Sheridan thread mentioned, in response to JTF, that everywhere is dominated by Wal-Mart and not just OKC. I didn't comment there because I didn't want to hijack that thread, but that couldn't be farther from the truth. Wal-Mart is a significant player everywhere but complete market domination? Many small towns are dominated by Wal-Mart but there aren't any other sizable cities where they have anywhere close to the domination they have here.

Per the NewsOK article, Wal-Mart has 8 more stores for OKC planned over the next two years. I can't imagine that they would all be Supercenters, but I wonder if that will be enough to finish off Homeland. Does anybody think that is overkill? They must be really scared of Winco entering the market.

Somebody in the 499 Sheridan thread mentioned, in response to JTF, that everywhere is dominated by Wal-Mart and not just OKC. I didn't comment there because I didn't want to hijack that thread, but that couldn't be farther from the truth. Wal-Mart is a significant player everywhere but complete market domination? Many small towns are dominated by Wal-Mart but there aren't any other sizable cities where they have anywhere close to the domination they have here.

Here is a comparison of number of stores in various metros in our part of the country according to Walmart's website. The numbers for OKC are not out of proportion to the other cities (except for KC) based on the population.

Oklahoma City - 41
Tulsa - 35
Kansas City - 42
Wichita - 25
Little Rock - 32

Target Canada shuts down - Jan. 15, 2015 (http://money.cnn.com/2015/01/15/news/companies/target-ends-canadian-operations/index.html)

I guess Canadians don't like Target.

The I-44/104th Street intersection is already not-so-great, with everyone in a big-ass hurry to leave wherever it is they work on the West side of I-44 (FAA?). I cross my fingers, close my eyes and hope for the best when I have to use the exit from SWB I-44, because the four-way stop rule does not exist on this plot of land...only the kindness of strangers.

The I-44/104th Street intersection is already not-so-great, with everyone in a big-ass hurry to leave wherever it is they work on the West side of I-44 (FAA?). I cross my fingers, close my eyes and hope for the best when I have to use the exit from SWB I-44, because the four-way stop rule does not exist on this plot of land...only the kindness of strangers.

I know exactly what you mean. No one ever waits their turn at this intersection.

huh... up until a couple years ago, i drove this intersection all the time and usually didn't have any problems. -M

My biggest complaint about the intersection is how crappy the road is itself. It's like a washboard.

My biggest complaint about the intersection is how crappy the road is itself. It's like a washboard.

Pretty much every road in OKC is like that.

Pretty much every road in OKC is like that.

Eh, but this one is especially bad. Like you can see it from a quarter mile away.

Since I'm moving back to OKC and options are somewhat limited, I was all ready to give them a fair try.

In fact, on my recent visit I needed some things desperately such as an inflatable mattress, a comforter, a folding chair, etc.

I did some research on-line to make sure what I needed was at the I-40 & MacArthur location, as I needed to stop there between the airport and my new place in SoSA Heights.

What a nightmare.

First of all, they didn't have anything in stock they said they had. Secondly, I didn't like any of the alternatives at all. And third, there were long lines to check out, and this was around 3PM on a Monday.

Unless I have to, I won't be going back. In fact, I went to the Target at NW Ex and May a few times during that same trip and found lots of small items I really liked -- all in stock. I had bought a few things at West Elm but found things at Target I actually liked better for about half the price.

So, I was ready to get on board due to their overwhelming presence and convenience but even with that, there are still many good alternatives and I doubt I go in there much more than the once ever couple of years that I've done here in California.

I just don't get the draw. I didn't find their prices any cheaper than Target or any other grocery store and in every other way there are much better shopping choices.

Perhaps it's the relaxed dress code [see People of Walmart website]. I'm not a fan of the ones I see in Oklahoma City, and the one near I 40 and Mac Arthur is one I avoid whenever possible. We have found "super centers" in smaller towns (e.g. Purcell, Pauls Valley) to be less nightmarish. The one in Purcell is really pretty nice.

I actually think the stores themselves are a little worse here than it is in other markets where they have more legitimate competition. Nowhere else have I seen Wal-Marts so understaffed. I hate grocery shopping there and when I do go there its never for groceries. A lot of people I know in OKC complain about Wal-Mart but won't stop shopping there. Even Briana Bailey has mentioned that Wal-Mart is hurting competition here yet we all go there and can't stop. Their market saturation strategy has worked well as most places in the metro are very convenient to a Wal-Mart while a quality alternative may not be so convenient. The more people who shop elsewhere, at least for groceries, the better. I don't mind most Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market stores but dislike shopping there because when you shop Wal-Mart in OKC you are supporting their market saturation strategy. Luckily Wal-Mart doesn't (yet) have much of a stranglehold in the urban core and hopefully it stays that way.

The stores are disgusting, the merchandise unappealing, the food options marginal to bad, the service deplorable, and the overall atmosphere is depressing. I think there's a reason Wal-Mart is losing market share.

For me at least, the one thing I do like about Walmart is that they are open all night. I do a fair amount of shopping at 2-3 in the am after work.

That's no longer the case, at least for some stores. The I-240 and Santa Fe Walmart, among a few others, now shuts down at midnight and reopens at 6am. That said, I pretty much only go to Walmart for hard goods or non-perishable food items now... I don't buy any of their vegetables or fruits anymore because they just don't last very long. It was not uncommon for me to buy a pack of green onions, only to find at least one bad onion in the pack - and then the rest would go bad before the printed expiration date. I also bought a pack of baby portabella mushrooms that the lower layers were already nasty and slimy, without realizing it until I tried to use them.

For me at least, the one thing I do like about Walmart is that they are open all night. I do a fair amount of shopping at 2-3 in the am after work.

I can understand that.

But it doesn't explain why most their stores are packed during the day when there are plenty of other options.

Pete, a huge portion of the OKC market is low-end and not very discriminating. Many Wal-Mart shoppers are the same people who make dollar stores so successful here. Wal-Mart has the aura of cut-rate, and that is all those shoppers care about, some out of economic necessity, of course. I know that sounds judgmental, but it's not meant to be. It's just a fact of life; demographics.