Sincere question about Target vs Wal-Mart

[CornField]

Does it really make that big of a difference when I choose Target over Wal-Mart? Or any other big box store over Wal-Mart?

I understand about Buy Blue and how Wal-Mart supports mostly republican candidates, but I'm wondering about the other issues: jobs overseas, non-union, driving smaller businesses out of town, etc.

[napi21]

1. As far as I know, Target treats their employees better.

They sure don't have the hugh turnover that WM has. They also treat their customers better. Every time I've had a question about anything in Target, I get a immidiate knowlegable answer. EVERY time I ask a question in WM, the answer I get is I don't know!

[LostinVA]

16. Target treats employees and US vendors much better

[SheilaT]

2. It seems as though

Target might be only slightly better. Costco is by far the best of the big box stores. They pay very good wages, give benefits, and support liberal/progressive causes.

The very best choice is always a family owned small business, just so long as the family supports liberal/progressive causes and candidates, and isn't just a knee-jerk Republican.

[CornField]

4. We don't have a Costco here

I've asked if they will come and I always get the same answer, "They are considering expansion into our area but have no specific date at this time." *sigh*

[blm]

20. Sometimes it's GOP city councils keeping them out.

But, your original question was a very good one, and the answers are very helpful for all of us, especially at this time of year.

[AspenRose]

www.costco.com

:-)

[Tony_Illinois]

3. It Makes A Difference

Every time anyone makes a purchase anyplace other than Wal-Mart it matters. That is money that does not go to support the policies of Wal-Mart, which are well known to all of us.

I see it as the same principle at work when a decision is made to recycle a plastic bottle--even one.

[Rich Hunt]

5. Target

Well, let's face it: Target appeals to those latte yuppie urban liberals because it is so cool.

[cspanlovr]

8. Why stop at Walmart?

I recently had to have work done in my kitchen due to water damage. I had to get a number of estimates from contractors. I decided I did not want my money going to anyone who supported The Blithering Idiot in "charge" of the White House, so I slyly made a few comments to get them to talk about their political persuasion. Boy, what an easy job! You can't shut them up once they get going. Naturally, the job went to a good, upstanding liberal.

[Arugula Latte]

24. Good for you!

And welcome to DU! :toast: :hi:

[petgoat]

6. Costco pays $16 an hour and provides medical insurance and

99% of its political contributions go to Dems.

http://www.buyblue.org/node/721/view/summary

Buyblue.org is kind of a work in progress. It would be nice to get
it finished before the holiday shopping season.

[mod mom]

19. We don't have Costco in Cols OH. I have written them asking to move here,

so alas, I am forced to choose the bluer of 2 red companies: TARGET. I also have written to Target expressing my dismay about them supporting Republicans. Their response was that they support issues that are better for their retail business. I now limit my purchases to necessities.

[mtnester]

21. So have I mod mom

Repeatedly asked them to consider central Ohio. I have also written Target recently about their policy allowing their pharmacists to refuse to fill emergency contraceptives. So, I recently made the decision not to shop there as well.

I have never shopped at Walmart. I try to buy clothes at Dress Barn and the Gap when I need them, I buy only all natural makeup made by a person I know is blue, same with soaps and hair products, shop the Short North when I can, or Trader Joes at Easton, Wild Oats in UA or Whole Foods at Sawmill. I get my eggs from a local farmer cause I know what they have been eating (if you have never had a fresh egg, you are in for a treat if you ever do) and we stopped eating things out of a box so I do not accidentally east something Kraft made. I make my own mayo, my own catsup, etc. Lots of work and planning, but worth it IMO.

I take the Buy Blue seriously, but I SO wish Costco would come anywhere NEAR us . . I would shop them if they were within 50 miles of me.

[drbtg1]

34. regarding Wild Oats (a POS company)

They had some real scumbags in their management. When they came to West Hartford, they directly and deceptively closed a great local natural foods market called Cheese & Stuff

As they and friends nibbled on hors d'oeuvres beside the store's cheese case, the conversation turned to a grim memory: the funeral service, with casket, held for Cheese & Stuff at United Methodist Church in 2000.

The local West End store - long the heart and soul of the community - had died at the hands of competitor Wild Oats Markets, of Boulder, Colo. Wild Oats took over the property, promised to keep Cheese & Stuff in business, then closed it and leased its space to a store called Dollar World.

"They bought and closed a viable food store in the West End after saying that they wouldn't, in an overt act of cannibalization," said David Barrett, president of the civic association and a veteran of the Cheese & Stuff Defense Committee.

http://www.courant.com/news/local/hr/hc-lifenstuff1027.artoct27,0,7178189.story?track=mostemailedlink

[mod mom]

37. the best place to shop is the North Market. the vendors there are small +

most are good progressives.

[mtnester]

39. I can drop a fortune in there

I love it there...sometimes I look wistfully at the nearby buildings, wondering about converting a loft...but it is just not practical to live downtown when I work in the burbs.

We love the organic poultry across from the fish market...they make the BEST (but too infrequent) cassoulet I have ever tasted. Sinfully good.

Now I am starving.

[blm]

22. I would attempt a citizens' awareness group spreading the information that

Columbus citizens and consumers are being manipulated by the GOPs on the city council who are the likely culprits keeping Costco out of Columbus.

Hey...it's worth a try. Maybe by raising that question you can get some access to real answers.

[mtnester]

27. Thing is, Columbus City Council is Dem controlled, with a Dem mayor

so not sure of that is the case here. Franklin County (which Columbus is in) is pretty blue, with the exception of a few red parts.

[blm]

28. Then the likely culprit is the state, itself.

How many Costcos are in Ohio?

[mtnester]

32. Four

Not very many if you ask me.

[blm]

33. That does seem very low for a state like Ohio.

It might be telling the years they were built and which years they were blocked from expanding.

[mod mom]

36. Columbus City Council is overwholmingly Dem. Are you calling them

DINOS? I don't follow them that much as I live in Bexley (where by btw we have a mayor who was a Dem for bu$h-can you believe it?). I am pretty disillusioned by politicians in general. they seem in large to be a large group of self serving *#@*s. I am more issue focused now. My hands are full with what I see as the pivotal issue-election reform.

[mtnester]

40. Mod Mom, two words...Rubino's Pizza

fix what ails ya about local politics. I know Bexley well. Use to cruise it back in the day when we got bored out in the sticks.

[mzmolly]

7. Target offers their employees good benefits and they do a lot in terms

of community support. I'd rather have a Costo close by too, but until then - Target it is.

[zbdent]

9. I always thought, before the abuses of Wal-Mart really started coming

out, that Target seemed a bit more classy, clean, or organized better inside the stores.

Wal-Mart always seemed to be just more cheesy, in my opinion.

Years ago, I would have ranked them, in general atmosphere, in this way, with best on top.

Target
Wal-Mart
K-Mart

Nowadays, K-Mart seems to have made itself better, but the "bargain aisle" (which they all have now, "close-outs", whatever) is the cheesiest area.

Now, I rank them like this:

Target
K-Mart
most everything else (since the word came out about the WM abuses)
Wal-Mart

And yes, I'm going to check into the probability of Target allowing their pharmacists to impose their religious beliefs on people.

[lavenderdiva]

10. here is what buyblue.org says about both:

Target:

link: http://www.buyblue.org/node/1963/view/financials

$181,060 to Republicans

$36,380 to Democrats

$0 to Others
$217,439 in Total Contributions

(this seems a paltry sum to donate considering how mammoth a company Target is... IMHO)

link: http://www.corpwatch.org/article.php?id=12289
Article originally appeared in the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. Entry-level hourly workers in Target stores earn roughly the same pay and have more difficulty qualifying for health care coverage than their peers at Wal-Mart. Both retailers oppose unions and have taken steps to prevent organizing efforts in stores. And both have outsourced jobs overseas to save costs. But while Wal-Mart is perceived as a corporate giant that will do just about anything to maximize sales and profits, Target -- thanks to its hip advertising campaigns and its longtime contributions to a variety of civic and cultural causes -- is seen as a model corporate citizen and benevolent employer.


Walmart:

link: http://www.buyblue.org/node/2137/view/financials
$377,460 to Democrats

$1,354,790 to Republicans

$0 to Others
$1,732,250 in Total Contributions

link: http://www.buyblue.org/node/2356
But a Congressional report last year found that Wal-Mart had increased the health-benefit waiting period for full-time workers. In 2002, the waiting period jumped from 90 days to six months. By comparison, the report found, the average waiting period for employers the size of Wal-Mart was 1.3 months.

The report also found that Wal-Mart changed the definition of part-time in 2002, raising it to 34 hours or fewer a week, up from 28 hours or fewer - a stricter definition than many companies.

Part-time workers must wait two years to apply for health coverage and they cannot add a spouse or children.

link: http://edworkforce.house.gov/democrats/releases/rel21604.html
“There’s no question that Wal-Mart imposes a huge, often hidden, cost on its workers, our communities, and U.S. taxpayers,” said Miller. “And Wal-Mart is in the driver’s seat in the global race to the bottom, suppressing wage levels, workplace protections, and labor laws.”

The report estimates the costs borne by taxpayers for things like medical insurance and housing assistance for Wal-Mart employees that can’t afford them because of their low wages and benefits. The report shows that taxpayers would have to pick up $420,750 per year for a hypothetical Wal-Mart store employing 200 people.


IMHO, shop Costco, if possible. There's very little difference between Target and Walmart, in the way they operate their businesses. Costco is a true blue company, offering its employees decent wages, health insurance (even if part-time), and great benefits.

[CornField]

15. So, technically

The belief that Target is more blue is a falsehood. Target is also anti-union and an overall crappy employer.

Damn. I was afraid of this. There is no where in my metro area that I can shop and still feel somewhat good about it.

[lavenderdiva]

17. basically, yes...

The belief that Target is better is basically a falsehood, according to these articles. According to some of the articles referenced on buyblue.org, Walmart (much as I despise their business practices) actually makes it easier for their employees to obtain health insurance. Now, keep in mind almost half of their workforce can't AFFORD health insurance, so I am not saying they are in any way better. However, you don't have to work there as long to qualify for health insurance. This doesn't say much, IMHO. Percentage wise, (HA) Walmart also gives more to Dems than Target does. Again, they still give far, far more to Repubs than you or I can imagine.

Do you not have a Costco near you? I know its not practical for all your shopping needs, but it is a great company to support, if you can do so.

[CornField]

18. No, there isn't a Costco within driving distance.

We have:

Wal-Mart (two in the area & a new one set to open in my town next Feb.)

Sam's Club (one - I'm not a member LOL!)

K-Mart (two)

Target (two)

Hy-Vee & Drugtown (several - 10+)

Walgreens (two)

Fareway (grocery store)

Randall's (grocery)

Aldi's (limited grocery)

For me to buy groceries at a place I feel good about, I have to drive roughly an hour each way to a small co-op.

[Touchdown]

26. K-Mart was bought by Sears.

So check the contributions of Sears to see. In College, I worked at Sears for about a year. They had a generous employee discount, health benefits, and they paid a generous commission on things you sold throughout the store. Who knows if they'll adopt the Sears policies to K-Mart employees though.

Aldi is a german grocer. They mostly have the same employment policies as their European stores, so that should translate to HC, and decent wages.

Hy-Vee, the last I heard was employee owned. Not a bad place for your conscience.

Walgreens builds in poorer neighborhoods, has reasopnable prices and you get in and out quickly. Not a major store, but they're good for laundry soap and toilet paper. Who knows how much they pay, and my Walgreens is a filth-pit, but it's within walking distance.

If you have a Kroger, Albertson's or Safeway (or any of their subsidiaries), they are union stores, and pay decent wages in the $12-15 range.

[no name no slogan]

38. Depends on the Target

I have several friend who work in Target corporate, and they are treated very well. Good benes, decent wages, etc. I've also known several who have worked in the retail stores, and although it wasn't the greatest work, they tended to get paid more and get better benefits than did K-Mart or WalMart employees.

Target also donates 5% of its profits to community non-profit organizations, too. They've long been a good corporate citizen in Minneapolis, despite their shortcomings (and there are many, no doubt).

[mongo]

11. Because not shopping at Walmart

allows you to feel good about yourself while doing nothing about the underlying problem:

The lack of a fair minimum wage and social safety net for all Americans.
And the lack of enforcement for existing labor laws and civil rights.

It is easier to fault a company operating within the law than it is to make the law more fair for all.

And when Walmart does break the law - and they do and have, they should be condemmed for that and prosecuted. But most people boycott Walmart for bad policies that are totally legal.

[LeftyMom]

12. Well, they have nicer stuff

Yeah, the really liberal thing to do would be to shop at family-owned places and buy American, union-made stuff. Unfortunatly we don't exactly have a lot of places like that around here, so I do a fair amount of my shopping at Target because they're affordable, thier policies and thier merchandise are better than Wal-mart and Target's within walking distance (that's a big factor for me, I don't want to give any more to oil companies than I have to.)

I do most of my shopping at the local food co-op (thier employees are union, they have a low income discount and thier prices are good) and at costco (again, union employees and good prices but they don't take food stamps or EBT which pisses me off, poor people should be able to stretch thier money by shopping there.)

[housewolf]

13. Attn Target Shoppers - re: Target Pharmacists

Target has a policy of allowing its pharmacists to refuse to fill prescriptions that the pharmicist is personally oppesed to.

This type of policy has stirred a lot of controversy here and in the media. If you don't like the policy but want to continue to shop at the store, please make the effort to let Target know that you are opposed to their policy.

There's a "Contact Us" link on this page
http://sites.target.com/site/en/spot/page.jsp?title=pharmacy_home

but it's more effective to deliver comments in person at the store level.

[upi402]

14. I get school supplies and anything I ca from UFCW grocery stores

They pay union wages and benefits. I go to Fred Meyer or anywhere but WalMart (or even Target if possible). I don't even got to Costco.

Buy union -UFCW is at a grocery store near you!

[noonwitch]

31. Meijer (Midwestern chain) is union

Being from Grand Rapids, Meijer's headquarters, I know the reputation of the Meijer family. The stores have been unionized for a long time. They treat their employees better than most retail chains. The Meijer family are conservatives and probably republicans, but they do not make a big deal about their religion or their politics. They are good people who do not have scandals about their business or their personal lives. They also are very generous to the community.

If you are ever in Grand Rapids, Michigan, I highly recommend a visit to the Meijer Gardens. They are worth the admission. Not only are the gardens beautiful, there are a lot of statues and art to look at. The DaVinci horse is really a cool thing. It was built from DaVinci's original plans. Fred Meijer sponsored the project, and also had a copy built for the city of Milan, Italy.

I used to shop at this expensive little grocery store in Royal Oak (The Holiday Market-I still go there if I need certain items for gourmet cooking). I'm saving at least $25 a week shopping at Meijer. I'm sure Walmart is cheaper yet, but that's only because they violate labor and immigration laws to lower their overhead.

[ComerPerro]

23. Even if it makes no difference, when I have to go to such a store

I prefer Target.

Just everything about it seems better.

Wal-Marts make me sick. They seem to ooze Republicanism.

[PerpetualWinter]

25. I avoid both companies when I can, but unfortunately...

finances direct me towards one or the other constantly. Both companies like to regulate the morals of the community they infest, however Wal-mart does it on a slightly higher level than Target.

[paparush]

29. Dude, It's ALL made in China! eom

[Lannes]

30. Over the years Ive bought a few things at walmart

A DVD player,2 clock radios,and a wall clock.They all broke down within a week of buying them.Up until then I never had any electronic item break on me.

I know I was very lucky up to that point but something tells me that Walmart discounts electronics partly because they are crap despite the name brands.Its been a while since Ive gone back.Finding out about their labor practices sealed the deal.


If you dont care about the politics of target vs. walmart take that under consideration.I have had a far better experience with target products.

[FooFootheSnoo]

35. I used to work at Target

about 5 years ago as a second job. At the time they had the worst employee safety record among the discount stores (WalMart, K-Mart, and Target). The pay was horrible. I was part time, so the only benefit I received was 10% employee discount. They give their employees a little more autonomy than WalMart. For example, if someone brought a damaged item to my counter and wanted a discount, I was free to give them 5-10% off depending on the amount of damage. Very few people on the floor were full time, so most of the front line workers did not qualify for benefits. I also saw no evidence of promotion from within. I didn't work there for long, but I have been back a few times and the same people that were working on the floor five years ago are still working on the floor today. One thing in particular that bothered me was there was absolutely no camraderie among the employees, but that may have been only an issue at that store.