There were several reports this summer that Walmart is the favorite shopping destination of millennials. As an editor, researcher, consumer, and millennial, this shocked me. On one hand, Walmart is cheap and a popular destination for people looking for a good deal, on the other hand, if customers want quality products and better customer service, the assumption would be that Target would win the competition.

When researching the topic, I read articles (many with the same conclusions), talked to shoppers, and conducted my own survey. What I found was that (1) Walmart has stores absolutely everywhere, (2) most of the adults I spoke to didn’t have a clear answer as to which store they preferred, they said it would depend on what they needed to buy, but (3) the survey results showed that when given a choice between the two there was a clear winner.

(1) Walmart is everywhere. This point is no secret and has been written about many times. Walmart is in every state, most CBSA’s, and continues to grow. To see just how many Walmarts there are compared to Targets, I took both companies latest annual report and made a chart of the stores by state. Walmart had more stores in every state and has more than a hundred more stores than Target in 12 states. In Texas, Walmart had 411 more stores than Target.  Walmart’s are often closer to many colleges which could contribute to millennial spending.

(2) When I asked several adults which store they prefer to shop at, they all said the same thing: ‘well, what am I shopping for?’ While some were split, others were clear on their opinion. One of the comments I received was from Nikol Williams (age 24) who replied, “Target. Better quality and they treat their employees better.” As the conversations went on I learned that while many preferred the general atmosphere and quality of Target, most said they would more likely buy groceries from Walmart. One person I spoke to use to work for Target and was adamant on the fact that while there is a perception that Walmart is cheaper, this is actually false. Yes, you can buy some products cheaper at Walmart, but overall they are generally the same and Target has an entire team dedicated to checking prices. This is especially true if you use the Target Red Card. Another gentleman I spoke to was convinced of the opposite. He said that he often shops at both, but Walmart is cheaper on many of the items he often buys. He also noted that while he would more likely buy groceries from Walmart, he wouldn’t go there for furniture, clothes, or things for his house; for these he would trust Target.

(3) To find results of my own, I conducted a small survey to find out which store my peers preferred. The survey only had one question and was posted to Facebook, two Twitter accounts, and LinkedIn. Because of a time restraint, I made the survey one question and thus do not have any demographic information. Respondents were asked, “When choosing between Walmart and Target, which do you prefer to shop at?” I posted the survey for less than 24 hours and received 76 responses. The results were that 55 adults (72%) preferred Target, 18 adults (24%) preferred Walmart, and 3 adults (4%) choose Neither.

In March, The Wall Street Journal reported that Target will begin revamping its grocery section by focusing on seven categories that younger consumers in urban settings would be more likely to buy. This includes healthier options and more on-the-go foods. The company has also started putting more focus on e-commerce and private label brands especially in clothing and the home goods section. Last month, it was reported that Target is playing around with the idea of adding bars to its stores. Its store in Chicago, which is expected to open in October, was the first to apply for a liquor license. This would follow the trend of many grocery stores like Whole Foods that have in-store bars and would definitely appeal to an array of consumers, not just millennials. At the same time, Walmart’s Neighborhood Markets are popping up everywhere and the company plans to open more than 150 in the next year. Both companies have had to make some drastic changes over the past year, and as the holiday season approaches, it will be apparent whose changes had the biggest impact.