ExNorthwest wrote:
I think Sam Walton was the one who carried the Christian image of the store, and from what I vaguely remember, it was a much better store when he was alive.  
Well, based on my experience I would say that's pretty accurate. It was a decent place to work when I worked for the company. People had all sorts of decorations for their blue vests including AIDS and breast cancer ribbons, lots and lots of buttons and pins for movies, rainbow diversity pins, and religious items both Christian and non-Christian. Nowadays all you see is the blue vests, with the occasional Christian religious symbol. The company used to be hella picky about hiring, and not only expected good customer service but trained people in how to provide it (on the floor, not in those stupid computer modules.) People were expected to treat both customers and other workers well, and while there were some financial shenanigans by the company it was an occasional thing, not all the time. The old man's policies were still very much in place when I worked there. Then I left due to excessive stress and because I figured it'd be better to quit than get fired (my failing marriage was really dragging me down, at the time.)

About two years later, I was talking to a former co-worker (in the store, she was the door greeter) and she said it seemed like they'd hire just about anybody. The service had gotten horrible, and the management didn't seem to care. (The store had become a super-center in the meantime) Of course she was old, well past retirement age, so she retired soon after. Another friend of mine (this cute little disabled girl) ended up with that job. I talked to her when I was up there last, and she said a big part of why she got a different job was harrassment by "religious freaks" as she put it, none of whom worked there so the management just told her to let it go in one ear, and out the other. They said they couldn't do anything about it without offending the customers, so she had to be the better person and just let it go. Yeah, that got old, real fast. She's not a Christian anymore, either.

I think the Target hate is also social class related, since Target attracts a more affluent shopper and the store is concerned about maintaining a certain image.  Most Target stores come off as orderly and stylish
Target also tends to fill more of a niche or specialty market and carry higher quality bedding and housewares items than wal-mart does, and different selections of things that Wal-Mart also carries. They aren't really competing for the same customers in my opinion, most of the time, so aside from "class hatred" I can't really see any reason for the Target hate either.  

or the bums trolling the parking lots
You would think that would bother not only the customers, but the management. I guess that "Good Works" campaign is so far in the past that no one cares.