here's some things I give target credit for, whether it's target in general or this one in particular: they have basically the same employment practices as Wal-Mart, in some areas they are even worse. seriously, do the research. and everyone claims to hate Wal-Mart. however, target has somehow managed to come across as the darling of the retail industry. yes, I know, their practices don't hurt as many people as Wal-Mart, but duh, that's only because target doesn't employ as many people as Wal-Mart does. so, either someone in the PR department is worth their weight in gold, or Wal-Mart haters are incredibly hypocritical. another target plus: they are usually quite clean and well-lit. their stores come across as slightly higher-end than Wal-Mart. yes, I will compare them directly with Wal-Mart quite a bit, mostly to give some perspective on my rating. another good: while I usually find their prices to be higher, sometimes their prices on new-release blu-rays are the cheapest around. so, I take the ad into best buy, they match the price, and I earn reward points on my purchase. the last good thing: as another reviewer has pointed out, this particular store has an employee that is in charge of bringing the carts in from outside. this guy goes above and beyond not only any other employee at this store, he surpasses other employees doing the same job at every other store I've been to. he always seems to take pride in his work, always asks you if you want a cart, always tells you to have a nice day. if a manager at target is reading this, give this guy a raise!
now, here's what I don't like: as I said, I usually find their prices to be higher than Wal-Mart. and, if their price is lower, Wal-Mart will match it anyway. also, when compared with Wal-Mart, their services and selection just plain sucks. at the Wal-Mart in Janesville, I can get some tires put on my car, get them rotated, repaired, etc. I can grab some lunch at sub-way or from their quite-good deli section where they offer not just sliced meats and cheeses, but prepared foods as well, like rotisserie chickens, fried chickens, popcorn chicken, shrimp, potato wedges, and quite a bit more. you can get your nails done up all pretty, if you are so inclined. and, if you change your own oil like I do, you can bring your used oil and filters here to be recycled, no charge. at target, you can.....get a cup of coffee.
compare the sporting good sections of both stores. Wal-Mart sells firearms, ammo, accessories, knives, fishing poles, lures, bait boxes, and on and on and on. target has a few folding knives hanging up somewhere, that's about it. for your automotive needs, Wal-Mart sells a wide variety of oil, filters, spark plugs, light bulbs, lubricants, cleaning products, wiper blades, floor mats, etc. target has...I don't even know, I think they have a couple travel mugs. so, you get my point. there are areas where the selection is comparable: home décor, bedding, clothing. and i'll admit, I usually prefer the home décor at target to Wal-Mart. but overall, Wal-Mart offers a much wider selection of products and services, along with typically lower prices. another thing that burned a bridge between me and target: this past Christmas I was looking for a toy that seemed to be sold out everywhere. however, the target in Machesney Park Illinois had one. for some reason target had taken away the ability to buy it online and pick it up in the store. so, I call and make sure the item is in stock. I explain to the employee that it's a 30 mile drive, and ask him to hold the item for me. nope, sorry. ok, I get it, but can you just hold it for 1 hour, put a note on it, if I'm not there by then, put it back out. nope sorry. ok, can I give you my credit card info and buy it over the phone and pick it up in 30 minutes? nope, sorry. it's Christmas, I'm a desperate parent trying to get a toy for my daughter, asking for nothing that's even a little bit unreasonable. and they are willing to help me out in NO WAY AT ALL. thanks for the great customer appreciation and service, target! read more