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The Big Red One is Coming...


RAK

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I would have to say that I am a Walmart guy. I know where everything is in the store and it is just usually faster for me. I have nothing against Target but I would rather support Walmart since it is one of the driving factors for making NW Arkansas what it is today.

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I would have to say that I am a Walmart guy. I know where everything is in the store and it is just usually faster for me. I have nothing against Target but I would rather support Walmart since it is one of the driving factors for making NW Arkansas what it is today.
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Target is nothing like Wal-Mart and there's a huge difference between the products and very little difference between the prices. I'm a Wal-Mart regular and when I do get a chance to go shop at Target in Fayetteville it is always a joy. All The products at Target are so much more exciting and higher quality than Wal-Mart and I'm tired of Wal-Mart never having what I'm looking for in stock. Wal-Mart.com is a much better shoppiung experience than the stores and the website has a much better product selection and now that you can get most things with free shipping to the stores that's all the stores are really good for these days. When Wal-Mart did away with layaway they really lost a lot of customers and now that Wal-Mart has raised the prices on pretty much every product in the store I really only shop at Wal-Mart for most groceries. Hopefully that will change when we can get some more grocery competition up here. About the only store Wal-Mart beats hands down is K-Mart and that was proven a few years ago when K-Mart closed a bunch of stores. Target has not even lost stride because of Wal-Mart... if anything Target has become even better because of Wal-Mart.

I used to think Wal-Mart was the better place to shop, but now its only a pale reflection of its former self. I cannot wait until Target opens in Rogers! Now if only we can get Krogers all will be perfect.

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Go ahead and make a list of groceries of common household needs and buy those at both places. Wal-mart not only wins, but by a pretty good margin. Wal-mart was for the middle and lower class people. Target on the other hand is for the higher class households, that's why they jack their prices up. I've been in the Target in Fayetteville and feels like you're walking through a hospital. It is so quiet there. Walmart is bustling and busy for a reason. LOW PRICES!!!!! Go head and shop at Target, I do too, only on things Walmart doesn't stock, Because if Walmart stocks it, it will be cheaper than anywhere else.
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Go ahead and make a list of groceries of common household needs and buy those at both places. Wal-mart not only wins, but by a pretty good margin. Wal-mart was for the middle and lower class people. Target on the other hand is for the higher class households, that's why they jack their prices up. I've been in the Target in Fayetteville and feels like you're walking through a hospital. It is so quiet there. Walmart is bustling and busy for a reason. LOW PRICES!!!!! Go head and shop at Target, I do too, only on things Walmart doesn't stock, Because if Walmart stocks it, it will be cheaper than anywhere else.
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I'm with you guys on Target. WM has its advantages, generally for things like hardware and tires. However, when I want greeting cards, household appliances, picture frames, clothing, etc I can find things I like at Target and I never can at Wal-Mart. Why does it matter if it's cheaper if I can't find anything at all worth buying? Otherwise I'd do a lot of shopping at dollar stores.

I recently went to several stores looking for a simple, attractive alarm clock. All I could find at WM was junk. Best Buy was too high - they all had IPOD compatibility, etc. I found a couple I liked for a good price at Target.

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Unfortunately, Wal-Mart still has the monopoly on groceries up here and I'm still trying to find an alternate grocer. For meats I still go to Marvin's IGA in Pea Ridge where they have the 5 packs for $25 deal and is the best deal around. I may not have any choice to shop at Wal-Mart for groceries, but maybe after Target opens in Rogers a grocer like Kroger may move in.

[steps down from soapbox]

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I don't understand why you think Wal-mart has turned their back on you. They have scrapped the upscale stuff and returned to the low prices strategy. I haven't seen any of the high-end stuff in the stores for months. In fact, I've been disappointed at the very cheap but uninspired clothing as of late, and I'm worried that they've gone too far in the "cheap" direction. The upscale strategy was just a blip on the radar.

A few years ago an independent study was done to find out whether Target or Wal-Mart was cheaper for everyday items like toothpaste, groceries and toilet paper, etc. and after several tests Wal-Mart won by a margin of less than a dollar. For short shopping trips for specific items Wal-Mart is usually cheaper, but the product selection for specialty items at Wal-Mart is either limited or not worthwhile (ie. bedding, shoes, clothing, etc.). I don't have the link to that study, but its out there on the web somewhere.

Target does not generally have a higher markup on general merchandise items but since they buy higher quality items they end up having a higher retail price than Wal-Mart's. Target's markups are by no means unfair and are generally around 200%; in other words Target buys a product for $10.00 and sells it for $20.00. Whereas, Wal-Mart generally buys the same product for $5.00 and sells it for $17.88 and they call it a Rollback because its cheaper than Target. So, Wal-Mart actually has higher markups than Target, but noone cares as long as they're cheaper. Where Target clearly wins over Wal-Mart is sale items. The average Rollback at Wal-Mart is less than a dollar while the average sale at Target is $5.00 or more. Wal-Mart uses "Rollbacks" and "Everyday Low Prices" to deceive people into thinking that Wal-Mart has better bargains, and it generally works. But, its "SALES" that are the real bargains and Wal-Mart doesn't ever have sales.

Holiday shopping is also so much better at Target than Wal-Mart. In fact, I always lose a bit of the Holiday spirit after walking through Wal-Mart and seeing the same products year after year at the same Rollback prices, whereas seeing all the new exciting products at Target and finding them "ON SALE" always boosts my Holiday spirit. Why just yesterday my wife and I shopped at Target and found ourselves in the Christmas spirit and already started buying presents. Who could resist those awesome SALE prices? I'm trying to stay in the Christmas spirit so I'm avoiding all contact with Wal-Mart, but I think I can make it okay if I limit my Wal-Mart shopping to the grocery side and just leave as quickly as I can. Afterward, I'll rush over to Target or Kohl's to get back the Chritsmas spirit I lost at Wal-Mart. I have a feeling it will be a very cheerful Christmas this year and will get even better when the new Target opens in Rogers.

For clothes and household items, including Holiday decorations I shop at Target and Kohl's for the sales and better merchandise and usually save a lot of money over shopping at Wal-Mart. For everyday items I don't mind saving 10 cents by shopping at Wal-Mart and quality doesn't make a lot of difference for most stuff that end up in the toilet or out with the trash anyway. I probably should be more appreciative to Wal-Mart for making NWA what it is today, but since Wal-Mart has turned its back on me and millions of people in my income bracket then I feel no loyalty to it. I look forward to splitting all my specialty shopping between Target and Kohl's and just stopping at Wal-Mart to stock up on toilet paper and pullups.

Unfortunately, Wal-Mart still has the monopoly on groceries up here and I'm still trying to find an alternate grocer. For meats I still go to Marvin's IGA in Pea Ridge where they have the 5 packs for $25 deal and is the best deal around. I may not have any choice to shop at Wal-Mart for groceries, but maybe after Target opens in Rogers a grocer like Kroger may move in.

[steps down from soapbox]

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I don't understand why you think Wal-mart has turned their back on you. They have scrapped the upscale stuff and returned to the low prices strategy. I haven't seen any of the high-end stuff in the stores for months. In fact, I've been disappointed at the very cheap but uninspired clothing as of late, and I'm worried that they've gone too far in the "cheap" direction. The upscale strategy was just a blip on the radar.
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There are some more run down stores especially when you get out of the core of NWA. But Harp's does have some nice stores as well. Although I wouldn't go as far to say they compare to Kroger's or Albertson's. But I don't see them coming to NWA anytime soon.

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An e-mail I just received from Kroger's said that they have no plans but have forwarded my suggestion to their planning department and are definitely looking to expand where there is interest.

Pretty much what I figured they'd say, but some other chains said they weren't planning to come...and then did.

:P

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I don't remember the last time I shopped at Harp's so I can't really compare it to Wal-Mart. I may have to do my own price comparison to see if Harp's is worthwhile. I do know that a major grocer like Kroger or Albertson's would help make Wal-Mart and Harp's more competetive and affordable.

As for Target coming to Rogers, it is a big deal because it means even after the Pinnacle Hills Promenade opened Rogers is still coming into its own and becoming less dependent on Fayetteville for shopping amenities. Besides, when Target opened in Fayetteville it was followed by a flurry of quality restaurants and specialty retailers opening nearby and now it will happen in Rogers. What's happening in southwest Rogers is an instant replay of what happened in north Fayetteville only in fast forward. Its as exciting for Benton County as it was for Fayetteville so many years ago.

Also, I don't want to have to drive to Fayetteville, two cities distant, to shop at Target and I want my sales tax dollars going to my city and not someone else's.

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An e-mail I just received from Kroger's said that they have no plans but have forwarded my suggestion to their planning department and are definitely looking to expand where there is interest.

Pretty much what I figured they'd say, but some other chains said they weren't planning to come...and then did.

:P

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