10 Reasons Walmart Is Better Than Target

When it comes to choosing between Walmart and Target, there's often a perception that shopping at Target carries a certain prestige. This view doesn't really apply to shoppers who are looking to stay within their budget. In truth, Walmart offers a cost-effective alternative, with low everyday prices and a large selection of merchandise. By challenging the stereotypes of these two retailers, we explain why Walmart surpasses Target for those seeking to make their money go further.

The following are ten reasons why Walmart is better.

Walmart's business model focuses on offering lower prices, a strategy that has made it one of the most popular retail giants. Walmart can offer lower prices than Target due to its strong supplier relationships, purchasing power, and large supply chain. Target, on the other hand, focuses more on offering high-end and trendy products, which are typically more expensive.

Walmart's pricing strategy helps customers find affordable deals on essential items.

Walmart's widespread presence in communities makes it easier for shoppers to find a retailer close by. Walmart has over 4,600 locations across the United States, many more than Target's 1,981 stores. With this expansive network, you're more likely to have a Walmart close to home than a Target. This convenience also reduces travel time for shopping trips and makes it easier to stop in for a quick purchase.

The average size of a Walmart supercenter is 182,000 square feet. In comparison, newer Target stores are around 125,000 square feet. This larger layout not only accommodates more products, but it also delivers a more comfortable and accessible shopping experience for customers. Larger aisles can easily accommodate mobility scooters and walkers. Additionally, the wider pathways allow you to easily move your shopping cart in and out, especially on busy days.

Another advantage Walmart has over Target is its larger selection of products, including a wide variety of generic brands. Great Value is Walmart's primary generic brand, offering a variety of everyday essentials, including food and household cleaners.

Other Walmart generics include Equate healthcare and personal products, and Mainstays home and lifestyle merchandise. The company focuses on saving customers money. Target also has a large selection of products and generics, including Up & Up, Good & Gather, and Market Pantry. However, Target tends to focus on trends more than essentials.

Walmart and Target both use sophisticated inventory systems. However, Walmart uses Retail Link, a system that empowers vendors to maintain the availability of items on the shelves. Retail Link predicts the demand for a product based on past sales and quickly restocks the item to prevent empty shelves. Target handles its own inventory. The process makes it much harder to predict which products will sell quickly, often leading to empty shelves.

Shoppers can save time and money by completing all their tasks on a single trip. Walmart makes it possible with in-store services at over 3,500 U.S. supercenters. These services include an auto shop, vision center, and pharmacy.

While Target may offer some of the same in-store services, there are only 581 locations with vision centers and 1,800 locations with pharmacies, making it harder to find what you need.

Whether you've received an item as a gift or changed your mind about a purchase, you may decide to return it. Target and Walmart have similar return policies.

At Target, you can return items without a receipt and receive store credit instead. The retailer does place a $100 limit per year per customer on these returns.

If you receive an item from Walmart that's damaged or defective, you may return it for a full refund or store credit.

Sometimes, it's hard to fit a trip to the store into your daily routine. Walmart and Target have similar hours. However, these hours may vary depending on your location.

Target's standard hours are 8 am until 10 pm, while Walmart's hours are 6 am until 11 pm. Those extra hours may be enough to accommodate late-night or early-morning shopping trips when stores aren't as busy.

Walmart's Money Center allows customers to cash checks, transfer money using MoneyGram, and pay bills through their bill payment services. Some MoneyCenter locations offer tax preparation services through partners like Jackson Hewitt, so you can handle finances while you shop. There are thousands of Walmart Money Center locations across the United States. Customers can locate a store by searching for local stores online and checking to see if they offer money services.

Select Target locations have ATMs, allowing you to access your personal banking. However, additional banking services are rarely available.

Walmart's gardening center and craft section create a competitive edge over Target. In 2010, Target closed all its garden centers. Now the retailer has a small section with fertilizers, seeds, and basic outdoor necessities.

Walmart sells lawn equipment as well as a large selection of plants. Walmart's craft section also carries a wide variety of materials for sewing, knitting, painting, and DIY crafts. Target also has a craft center with cutting embellishments, school and office supplies, and paints. However, the section fails in comparison to Walmart.

Both Walmart and Target are popular retailers. However, Walmart stands out among shoppers who value convenience, savvy shopping, and a wide variety of products. From its everyday low prices to its wide selection of products and flexible shopping options, Walmart consistently delivers a value that is hard for Target to beat.

Since 2010, Walmart has shown a net annual sales increase of just over 4 percent, while Target has recently reported a net decrease. These numbers offer solid proof that more customers are turning to Walmart.