I will say…when DS was in grad school, he lived close enough to two super Walmart stores…you know…the ones with a full size grocery store as half the store. In my opinion, the super Walmart stores are far nicer than the plain, smaller Walmart stores.
DS bought a good chunk of his groceries and toiletries there…things he would have normally gotten at the grocery store. It was far less expensive.
But he said he never went into the other half of the store…at all. Just the grocery side.
I know I’m in the minority, but I hate Kohl’s, too. It’s my sister’s “go to” store. I find it junky, cluttered and I never like anything there. I guess I rely too much on presentation.
I don’t like Kohls either…or IKEA.
I sometimes shop at Target. I try to stay away, though. I always enter the store intending to buy one particular item, but typically leave after buying a lot more.
mcat2:
A couple of months ago I bought the most gorgeous 5 piece luggage set from EBAY, brand new for my son, who is now graduating college in May. It’s a designer name…and made very, very well. It was “originally” $1500, and EBAY was selling it for @$300. It’s NOT a knock off, it’s the real thing I’ve seen in better stores. This was my first time buying something that expensive on EBAY and I’m not sorry. They have luggage distributors that sell the luggage there at a huge mark down just to move it. Maybe it was last year’s model? Who cares! It’s gorgeous and my son will get years of use from it! It will hold up sooooo much better than cheaper stuff. You can see the quality immediately.
@Momofwildchild, I do the same with regard to two chain pharmacies in Dallas. It seems that they are always pretty close to each other geographically. One of them always looks junky and cluttered, unorganized with regard to how things located in the store, etc. The other one always looks immaculate and there is a logic to how the store is laid out. I always go to the one with the better presentation.
Tried to get a new ironing board & cover the other day and went to Target (first time I’ve been in the place since the credit card breach). Did not have them!
We do most of our grocery shopping at Wegmans, Costco and Trader Joe’s. During the summer, we go to PYO farms for fruit and veg. Toiletries and household supplies – Costco or Walmart. S2 is not picky about brand names and is happy with Kohl’s, assuming we can find his size. Have to get his shoes from Zappos because size 15s aren’t in the stores. I don’t spend a lot of money on my clothes. I’m usually in workout pants and casual shirts.
I love Ikea. But I go in there intending to just buy some drinking glasses, and always seem to come out with another oddly shaped lamp, another Billy bookcase, a UNICEF plush toy animal (chew toy for dog), and a shopping cart full of more kitchen gadgets.
^^^ And a package of frozen meatballs. 
I only go to Kohls for spwcific things. When I have a coupon or kohls cash, I get things like mens gloves on sale (DS#2 loses them constantly), Keurig K cups or a cheap watch. The watch I have now, with the sale and money back, cost me $4. When it breaks I throw it away.
We always walk out of IKEA with jars of lingonberry preserves. Then I get pestered with requests for lingonberry blintzes.
I have never been to our Kohl’s, but it sounds just like Macy’s - I will never even try to battle that traffic. Nordstrom made a huge improvement with their Rack stores! They used to look like a bomb filled with clothing exploded scattering stuff all over. Now everything is neatly organized, and crews of employees go around fixing the racks and straightening out the displays. Clean and neat.
@deb922 , funny, the movie theater popcorn doesn’t seem to bother me as much . I love popcorn , but don’t ever buy microwave type…it’s that artificial oils that are supposed to taste like butter. Any place with an overpowering greasy smell is a problem for me
I am not usually bothered by smells. There is a chain store that my husband likes to go to that I will just not go into. I think it is Harbor Freight and Tools…the smell in there is nauseating to me
I love the smell of my company’s stores. We used to have a scaled down “fake” store set up on the ground floor of our office building and we could all enjoy the smell. We have a brand new facility and the store planning space had to be located elsewhere because it was just not an efficient use of expensive office space. We miss the smell.
^^^ and THAT might be the oddest post I have ever written!
I liked the lingenberry jam until my inlaws kept giving and giving and giving it to us…along with jars of nutella. I don’t eat either any more.
I do like those Swedish meatballs from Ikea…and I know enough people who DO go there that I can get them whenever I want them.
Part of the reason I avoid Target (other than their higher-than-Walmart prices) is I can’t stand the bright orange-red everywhere in the store. It bothers my eyes/nerves for some reason. The Walmart blue is much more peaceful/appealing to me.
Anything I need from Target and Walmart I could get from Amazon or other online stores. I get absolutely no pleasure in buying everyday goods, and that includes grocery. The idea of going to those stores to buy the most boring stuff is just not appealing to me.
@doschicos @chocchipcookie,
Thanks for suggestions on where to buy luggage.
@thumper1,
re: “when DS was in grad school, he lived close enough to two super Walmart stores.”
If only there were such a store near DS’s campus, we would not have any concern that it might be inconvenient for him to buy something he might need.
It seems that there are neither Walmart/Target type stores nor grocery stores near his campus. Those upscale stores like J. Crews are of no use to him. I think there is even not any fast food chain near (but there are plenty of restaurants.)
TJMaxx is the best place for luggage, unless you have Tumi and LeSportsac outlet stores nearby. Our TJMaxx carries IT luggage - a huge suitcase weighs only 5 pounds and was durable enough to survive 2RT to Central Asia.
@thumper1 I know that Macy’s bought Filene’s – but in my local mall both existed and they closed the Filene’s store. The Macy’s which is crowded and dirty and the G.Fox of my youth is totally gone. At least when it was Filene’s, one could pretend.
Of course, the real G.Fox was the 11 story department store in downtown Hartford. Now that was a STORE!