Walmart has a better HBA, clothing, and domestics selection. I'd also argue that Walmart has a better Pharmacy all around (I still question why Target outsourced theirs as others have upthread).wnetmacman wrote: ↑November 16th, 2017, 9:53 amTarget has slowly been scaling automotive back for many years. Auto Centers were open as late as the early 80's, but by the time the stores were redesigned in the mid 80's, the entire department started shrinking. Where Walmart has a huge section with many aisles devoted to automotive, most Target stores have less than one, and no repair/maintenance space. When you consider that your biggest competitor at least has the department in every store, that's a major shortsightedness. One that they cannot get beyond unless they fix it. Even the last Kmart I visited had a full automotive aisle with oil, filters and wipers. Their sporting goods section is okay, but still not up to par with Walmart. (Sam was an avid hunter, and that reflects in Walmart's sporting goods offerings)Super S wrote: ↑November 16th, 2017, 9:30 am Target had branded filters much later than that. I remember buying them in the early 1990s. They also carried ACDelco and Fram. Target at that time was still more mainstream with their hardlines offerings. These days there are no oil filters and you are lucky if you can find oil.
Target scaled many hardline areas way way back in the mid to late 1990s and this is now a huge weak spot for them.
In HBA, clothing, and domestics, Target has a good selection. When it comes to DIY and RTA furniture, Target also lacks. It's just not their strong suit, and they either know it but don't acknowledge it, or just don't care to be in that business.
To me, it's a major weakness for them as a company, to fail to fully compete with your closest competition.
I know Walmart had problems a few years ago (with the ill fated Express format and over-expansion) but they seem to have turned the ship around. Their stores look cleaner, better stocked, and better organized than than I can remember. Their website is probably the best of any brick and mortar retailer out there. They seem to have direction and focus.
Target, on the other hand, seems to be throwing darts on a board and hoping a few stick.
A noteworthy article about Walmart's success: https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/20 ... 866096001/