Week 8: Target and Walmart: A Similar Pricing Strategy, Different Aesthetic

Target and Walmart: A Similar Pricing Strategy, Different Aesthetic

In theme with this week's chapter readings, I have chosen to write my weblog about Target and Walmart and what kind of consumer their pricing appeals to; 

Target: By having a more up-to-date and fresher store aesthetic, Target markets themselves as a middle to higher-end store but it’s their prices that make them a store that everyone from the everyday consumer looking to save money for a variety of reasons to the consumer looking to splurge on items such as home and personal electronics, cookware, furniture and more a place where all feel welcomed. By having everyday store brand prices on products within its “All In Motion” fitness equipment, grocery, clothing, “Up and Up” cosmetics, and more Target gets itself within a wider consumer base. Generally appealing more to college and college-aged students as well as all classes of families, the price strategy at Target is something that makes them viewed by consumers as an everyday store with the option for more. This price strategy is something that many competing stores, such as Walmart, also do. 

Walmart: Generally viewed as the lower-end version of Target, Walmart also prices their products so that they are viewed by consumers as a store with flexibility. With a more relaxed and dated aesthetic Walmart markets itself as a middle to lower-end store but its product availability of low to higher-end items makes it a steadfast competitor to Target as well as like stores. With a selection of luxury bedding, jewelry, home and personal electronics, cookware, and more, Walmart is so much more than just an everyday store. While Walmart’s main market is the everyday consumer looking to save money with flexibility on everyday items, such as store brand “Great Value” grocery items, “Equate” cosmetics, and deals on almost everything when compared to its competitors, Walmart markets themselves to a wider variety of consumers, arguably the widest consumer variety. Typically appealing to mostly low to middle-income individuals and families, Walmart also has a strong pull with college and college-aged students as well as higher-end consumers. 

I often compare products at both of these stores and typically get products at Walmart because they are generally less expensive but like going to Target more than Walmart, due to their up-to-date and modern aesthetic. However, there are products at Target that are less expensive than Walmart, which I often find myself shocked about due to the different aesthetics of these two stores. Target is also a store where you can walk around the whole store and explore if you have the time, whereas Walmart has sections that you can walk around and explore but the store is more about getting what you need and getting out than Target in my opinion. Ultimately I feel both stores have great deals and satisfy my needs as an everyday buyer, as I trend more toward store-brand items than name brands.