A Target near me closed down due to a fire

Any savings just isn't worth the shopping experience at Walmart. Some of the rural ones that aren't as busy might not be bad, but anywhere near an urban center is a complete nightmare.
I was at a Walmart last night - this one was a suburban one but deals more with the mullet crowd(there’s one even close but it’s an urban store in a converted Macy’s - to be demolished for an Amazon warehouse). The urban one I used to go to is a absolute mess. My experience at Walmart has always teetered on borderline infuriating or surprisingly quick. I only go to WM for car needs - maybe the occasional cable or toiletry.

Target I can get in and out of under 15 minutes in many cases.
 
I’ve never been to that one - I frequented the two Oakland ones as well as Pinole.

Man, if Target had a better automotive section, I’d drop Walmart in a heartbeat.

The one in Albany is in a weird spot. It's close to the freeway but getting there is kind of weird with this almost blind turn from Buchanan Street or even a weirder turn from Gilman across Eastshore Highway.

The one in Richmond isn't exactly in the hood area, but the demographic that shops there is quite different than Albany. There are of course people living in the hills shopping there because it's convenient, but also from the poorer parts of Richmond where it's a lot better shopping than corner liquor stores, although it's not exactly a food desert with a Foods Co in downtown Richmond. Don't go there that often, but have been doing so in the last year because of vaccine clinics at Kaiser Richmond and Contra Costa County's at the Richmond Auditorium.

The one on the Oakland-Emeryville border is really weird in terms of who shops there. There are a ton of expensive new condos and apartments in the area (even Oakland), but also a lot of the lower income crowd that's still there in a rapidly gentrifying area. And then there's the Pak'n'Save, which more or less operates like a Safeway and not the old model of Pak'n'Save that was similar to places like Food 4 Less, Foods Co, or WInco with bagging yourself and often warehouse style shopping. I read that there are only three left, and the only one I've been to feels like a regular Safeway other than the name. I think they're only keeping it around for trademark protection, like how a few Chevron stations here or there still display Standard signs.
 
Any savings just isn't worth the shopping experience at Walmart. Some of the rural ones that aren't as busy might not be bad, but anywhere near an urban center is a complete nightmare.

The only Walmart anywhere near me is at the former Hilltop Mall in Richmond, California. And it's really bizarre because it's the only retail left in what was a state of the art mall back when it opened in the 70s. That mall basically destroyed the retail economy of downtown Richmond (where there was a Macy's) when a lot of the big retailers just up and left for the mall. Then the mall went into a steady and massive decline when there were newer and/or shinier options like 4th Street in Berkeley or Bay Street in Emeryville, and the department stores were no longer popular. Hilltop Mall was the only major mall left anywhere along that side of the Berkeley/Oakland Hills for miles from Oakland to the Carquinez Bridge. It was actually quite nice in the 80s. But now it's supposedly being turned into a "technology center" but with that Walmart (which took over a former Macy's space) remaining as the sole retail. Kind of sad what it turned into. Last year I remember seeing a ton of Amazon and Hertz vans in the parking lot, where they were using the mall as a distribution center. All the stores were "temporarily" closed except for Walmart.
 
Target is the only place I've ever seen Mobil 5000 (Mobil Super?) for sale.

They can barely fill up one aisle with automotive...

Car sections at Target barely exist now. Same with DIY stuff where I could previously find enough stuff at Target for minor DIY if I didn't want to deal searching for stuff at Home Depot and waiting in those lines. I remember when I could walk into a Target and find all the major brands of motor oil, plus Mobil 1 and maybe Castrol Syntec. They also had a house branded motor oil that seemed like it was made for them by Valvoline, although at one time it was under the "Car & Driver" brand.

They had a full selection of Fram filters and even AC. I even remember their JCI-made Eveready car batteries.
 
Just mainly in areas where the DA was elected for so-called criminal justice reform and police reform.

It's big in CA, with Prop 47 compounded it.

It's happening everywhere. The biggest issue is that stores just tell their security to monitor and report rather than risk any kind of injury where they might get sued. There's a state task force that's dealing with organized shoplifting rings and they've been making some pretty high profile arrests. Some of the biggest shoplifting areas have been in San Mateo County where the DA is not known for being soft.

This happens all over, but California gets the press.
 
It's happening everywhere. The biggest issue is that stores just tell their security to monitor and report rather than risk any kind of injury where they might get sued. There's a state task force that's dealing with organized shoplifting rings and they've been making some pretty high profile arrests. Some of the biggest shoplifting areas have been in San Mateo County where the DA is not known for being soft.

This happens all over, but California gets the press.
Why would they have to start a fire as a diversion? Can't you just walk out with a cart as long as it is under $1000 or something?
 
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It's happening everywhere. The biggest issue is that stores just tell their security to monitor and report rather than risk any kind of injury where they might get sued. There's a state task force that's dealing with organized shoplifting rings and they've been making some pretty high profile arrests. Some of the biggest shoplifting areas have been in San Mateo County where the DA is not known for being soft.

This happens all over, but California gets the press.
Doesn't really happen in Orange County or San Diego county.

LA county, yes, it happens there, and there's a new effort to recall DA Gascon.
 
Exactly like Sam's Club vs. Costco! Costco people are "too good" for Sam's, much less WM...
oilBabe "demands" we have a membership at both. The local Costco is close to "Metherson" (Jefferson) County, MO. So similar if not higher levels of unsavory characters compared to the local Sam's Club.

At least it's close to where she works, so no special trips.

The money back on our Sam's Club MasterCard pays us back enough to cover both memberships, so I don't throw a fuss about it.

I did like buying a $500 Alaska Air gift car for $449 and then paying for it with my Alaska Air Visa to double or triple dip on the benefits. My oldest daughter lives in Seattle, a hub for Alaska Air and there are direct flights to STL. So we'll use it in no time :)

Not sure I've witnessed deals like that at Sam's
 
Doesn't really happen in Orange County or San Diego county.

LA county, yes, it happens there, and there's a new effort to recall DA Gascon.

Oh - it happens in Orange County and San Diego County. The California Highway Patrol was tasked with setting up the organized retail theft task force since there is no other state police force per se. OC and SD share one division.

In response to AB 1065, the CHP, in consultation with the DOJ, developed a task force concept to work with allied agencies to combat organized retail theft. Three regional task forces, known as Organized Retail Crime Task Forces (ORCTF), were established by the CHP in three field Divisions with the greatest need for immediate action: Golden Gate Division (encompassing the greater Bay Area), Southern Division (encompassing the greater Los Angeles region), and Border Division (encompassing Orange and San Diego counties).​
 
Just mainly in areas where the DA was elected for so-called criminal justice reform and police reform.

It's big in CA, with Prop 47 compounded it.


My brother walked into his usual Safeway store and noticed the meat area was pretty much empty. He asked if it was supply issues and the person told him they had just been robbed earlier by a bunch of people. They targeted the meat area. They were discussing how to change their stocking routine to have as little product out on the cases as possible.

This was about a month or so ago.
 
My brother walked into his usual Safeway store and noticed the meat area was pretty much empty. He asked if it was supply issues and the person told him they had just been robbed earlier by a bunch of people. They targeted the meat area. They were discussing how to change their stocking routine to have as little product out on the cases as possible.

This was about a month or so ago.
Venezuela?
 
Things might end up like the movie RoboCop where criminals are roaming the streets and doing whatever they want .

Many cops today don’t want to get involved, accused of profiling…… they just want to put in 20 years and get their nice $$$$ pension.
 
Things might end up like the movie RoboCop where criminals are roaming the streets and doing whatever they want .

Many cops today don’t want to get involved, accused of profiling…… they just want to put in 20 years and get their nice $$$$ pension.

Some want action, while others just find some sleepy department where they only need to deal with traffic enforcement and petty crimes. I heard of one guy in a sleepy town where he was the lone detective in a police department with 12 officers. He ended up taking part in a violent crime task force since there frankly wasn't that much action going on in his own town.
 
The Bay Area shoplifters are getting more brazen

It’s happening most everywhere.
Not to the level in CA, it's out of control there. I don't see this in the mid west or better parts of the east coast.
Just mainly in areas where the DA was elected for so-called criminal justice reform and police reform.

It's big in CA, with Prop 47 compounded it.
Prop 47 for anyone who doesn't know allows people to steal up to $950 worth of merchandise and not be charged with a felony, so the police won't even show up if a hoard of thugs storms into a Walgreens, jumps over the pharmacy counter and take all of the Sudafed and empty out the nail polish section.
It's happening everywhere. The biggest issue is that stores just tell their security to monitor and report rather than risk any kind of injury where they might get sued. There's a state task force that's dealing with organized shoplifting rings and they've been making some pretty high profile arrests. Some of the biggest shoplifting areas have been in San Mateo County where the DA is not known for being soft.

This happens all over, but California gets the press.
You must be living in a bubble, its not like this in the more civilized parts of the US, you know where laws are enforced. If it were happening everywhere then that would be on the news as well. California gets the press because it is out of control exponentially, most of the MSM is favorable to CA. Unless its on fire.

Who would have thought being soft on crime would result in stores being ransacked by mobs and occasionally burned down? Now its forbidden to say shop lifting is bad too or describing the perpetrator lol. Well deserved California, but this is what you get. I am watching this carnage from afar and laughing morbidly, sorry, not sorry.

A task force catching a few theft rings or changing traffic patterns around the store won't put a dent into this. Enjoy your new normal.

No wonder there is an exodus from CA. Walgreens closed 5 stores in San Francisco, is that normal? How is ol' mammy gonna get her insulin? I don't see this happening in red states, not to the degree in SF.
 
I don't remember the last time I've been in a Target store . Two years or better .
 
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