[bigsmooth]

wow wahoo! sounds like a typical wal-mart....dirty, pallets all over the place and rude associates. and BTW medic, you could never live in the south....all cashiers talk to you at the checkout!!

[SuperJon]

If I had to pick one it would be Target because workers there don't try to have conversations with you while you're checking out..

excellent point jm

man, I HATE that. I know I'm an arrogant Yankee, but if I want to have a conversation, I'll talk to YOU.

that drives me nuts.

You're just a jerk.

[PAmedic]

thank you, thank you. I'm here all week. Don't forget to tip your waiter.

[bigsmooth]

im sure you yanks tip 10%

[SuperJon]

I tipped 100% last night. Then again, our waiter didn't charge us for drinks or dessert so my meal was only $4.46 for one of the best meals I've had in a while.

It's good to know the wait staff.

[Rocketfan]

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Wal-Mart Stores Inc.'s (NYSE:WMT - news) lackluster December sales forecast on Thursday cast doubt on its fourth-quarter prospects, while its nearest rival, Target Corp. (NYSE:TGT - news), continued to shine.

With strong November sales, Target widened the growth gap with Wal-Mart, and its monthly sales at stores open at least a year -- or same-store sales -- have now exceeded Wal-Mart's in 39 of the last 40 months.

"If both companies are around the middle of their December guidance, next month will make 40 of the last 41," ThinkEquity Partners analyst Edward Weller wrote in a note to clients.

"Since we think that Target will outperform Wal-Mart in January --if only because of the greater importance of gift cards -- January will make 41 of the last 42. And so on."

Wal-Mart posted a 0.1 percent dip in November same-store sales, its first monthly decline in more than a decade, while Target's rose 5.9 percent. Last month, Wal-Mart's same-store sales were up 0.5 percent while Target's rose 3.9 percent.

But the bigger surprise for Wall Street was Wal-Mart's December forecast calling for same-store sales to be flat to up 1 percent. Analysts had said that the company would need at least a 2 percent gain in December to meet its fourth-quarter forecast for 1 percent to 2 percent same-store sales growth.

Target expects same-store sales growth of 3.5 percent to 5.5 percent for December, which is typically the biggest shopping month of the year.

Wal-Mart's disappointing forecast comes despite efforts to slash prices on popular electronics, toys and other items to draw more holiday shoppers. Wal-Mart said November customer traffic actually declined, while Target's rose.

Wal-Mart, the world's biggest retailer, has also been remodeling stores and upgrading merchandise in the hope of appealing to a broader base of customers.

'TEDIOUS' EXCUSE

Wal-Mart blamed the poor sales on tough comparisons against last year's results, which were inflated as hurricane victims restocked. Apparel sales have also suffered as its trendy clothing lines drew a mixed response from customers.

Bernard Sosnick, retail analyst with Oppenheimer & Co., said the post-hurricane excuse "is getting tedious.

"Flattish December sales would mean the huge effort to upgrade the shopping experience would not produce the benefit in the fourth quarter that had been expected," he added.

Sosnick lowered his fourth-quarter earnings forecast to 88 cents per share from 90 cents.

Wal-Mart is expected to update its fourth-quarter forecast when it reports December sales results.

Wal-Mart said electronics sold well in November, which suggests that its price cuts on items such as plasma televisions did catch customers' attention.

But Ken Perkins, president of research firm Retail Metrics, said shoppers may have cherry-picked those discounted items and avoided higher-margin goods in other parts of the store.

"I think Target did a much better job of being in stock on their 'doorbuster' items and being able to get consumers to go out and shop the rest of the store than Wal-Mart did," he said.

Shares of Wal-Mart dipped 43 cents, or 0.9 percent, to $46.46 in early New York Stock Exchange trading. Target was off 53 cents, or 0.9 percent, at $57.32 as the entire retailing sector came under pressure.

Wal-Mart's shares trade at about 14.6 times analysts' profit forecasts for next year, compared with Target's multiple of 16.1.

[Sly Fox]

Come on now, Rocketfan. No fair bringing facts to a discussion about how posters here FEEL about their shopping experience.

[A.G.]

San Diego council slays retail giant

San Diego's City Council voted to ban certain giant retail stores, dealing a blow to Wal-Mart Stores Inc.'s potential to expand in the nation's eighth-largest city. The measure prohibits stores of more than 90,000 square feet that use 10 percent of space to sell groceries and other merchandise that is not subject to sales tax. It takes aim at Wal-Mart Supercenter stores, which average 185,000 square feet and sell groceries. The move irritated Mayor Jerry Sanders, who promises to veto the ban if it is reaffirmed on a second vote, said mayoral spokesman Fred Sainz. The council, however, can override a veto with five votes. "What the council did tonight was social engineering, not good public policy," Sainz said.

[LUconn]

"What the council did tonight was social engineering, not good public policy," Sainz said.

troof!

That's what Lynchburg tries to do.

[mrmacphisto]

Thought I'd throw my two cents in. Wal-Mart in Lynchburg is a disaster. Parking is a nightmare (LU overflow, perhaps?) and they are almost always out of something I'm there for. Honestly, how do you run out of skim milk? The Bedford one is nicer, but not worth the drive, and the one in Mad Heights is good, but not worth it unless you're buying tires.

The myth that Target merchandise is so much higher-priced than Wal-Mart is just that: a myth. Things like household items, groceries, toiletries, etc. are comparable to Wal-Mart, and Target arguably has the best store brand products around. Target is competing with Wal-Mart, so it stands to reason that their prices would be competitive. The items at Target that those find to be more expensive are likely comparable items of a higher quality (e.g., clothing, furniture, housewares). You get what you pay for, and for my money, Target is the better value.

[SuperJon]

I was at Wal-Mart last Saturday night about 1am (ok, I guess it was Sunday morning then) and got stuck behind these two rednecks who were all over each other and buying underwear for her. I about threw up in my mouth.

[PAmedic]

great visual, thanks

so much for lunch today

[bigsmooth]

were they fat rednecks visiting from king??

[SuperJon]

Nah, they looked like ones from Walnut Cove.

[FlamingYalieWahoo]

Hey - rednecks at Walmart? Alert the media!!! Careful they might have been my relatives - as I tell folks I am descended from Germans who became semi-educated Southern redneck farmers with anger management issues. We have gun racks on our tractors.