Treadmills-Who among the Big-3 can keep you in the best shape?

As Americans become more health conscious as a society, many people look for ways to improve their physical fitness. One popular way is through cardiovascular exercise, and many people seek to purchase a treadmill for home use in lieu of a gym membership. But who among Target, Walmart, and Kmart provides the best quality and value?

Walmart: Walmart offers the Cadence G 5.9 Treadmill, priced at a very competitive $287. The treadmill includes 6 different personal trainer workouts included, and comfort cell cushioning to reduce the impact on a runner's joints. For those who enjoy tracking their heart rate during a workout, that is also included in the treadmill package. The treadmill receives very good reviews, with a 4.3 out of 5 average. It comes with a 1 year limited warranty upon purchase.

 Walmart's Cadence Treadmill

Target: Target offers an enhanced version of the Cadence Treadmill found at Walmart, the Cadence C44. The C44 is priced at $399. It includes an LCD display, however it does not have personal training workouts included. It also includes a heart rate monitor. It is constructed with steel, and is very durable. Target provides a 90 day manufacturers warrant on the treadmill. 

Target's Cadence Treadmill

Kmart: Kmart offers the CrossWalk 5.0 treadmill, which is made by Weslo. It is priced at $299. The treadmill includes 4 built in workout programs, and a 2.25hp motor. It also includes the "easy pulse" heart-rate monitor. Its most unique feature is the crosswalk arms, which allow a user to work their arms as well as their legs, allowing for more calorie burning. Kmart provides a 90 day warranty on the treadmill.

Verdict: Walmart. Walmart's treadmill is the lowest priced, and includes the best warranty. While each treadmill has respectable features (with the crosswalk arms being especially innovative) Walmart's low price and long-term warranty make it the best option for treadmills. 

Winter Jackets-What store can help you stay warm, look good, and do it for less?

With an astounding 49 out of 50 states currently covered by snow, many people find themselves searching around retail stores for warm weather clothing. But who offers the best options for winter dress?

Warmth: For those who are looking for extreme cold weather gear, Walmart, Target, and Kmart all offer options. For men, Walmart offers an insulated jacket by Dickies, complete with hood and down lining, for $43. Target offers a puffer jacket by C9 for $35, and Kmart offers a puffer jacket by Canyon River Blues for $20, or a snowboarding jacket from Zero Xposur for $64.

Verdict: Walmart. The Dickies jacket is well lined, made of a durable material, and includes a hood. The jackets at Kmart are a close second, although the Canyon River Blues jacket has mixed reviews, as some cite its tear-ability. Target offers few options for those looking for warmth, having opted instead for more stylish jackets.

Style: As with any other item, jacket styling is largely subjective. Each store has developed a certain "theme" to their jackets, appealing to different consumers. Walmart features a large stock of both work jackets (such as the Dickies one featured above) and track jackets, targeting hard working people who have physical jobs or enjoy physical activity. Kmart has a large selection of leather jackets, which range from stylish blazers to motorcycle jackets. Target has the largest selection of stylish jackets, which include leather, wool, fatigue jackets, and track jackets.

Verdict: Mixed. While each store offers a selection of stylish jackets, individual preference will determine which customer prefers which store's jacket offerings.

Price: Kmart offers the cheapest jacket of the three stores, with its Canyon River Blues jacket costing only $20, compared to $35 for a similar jacket at Target. Many of Walmart's jackets carry higher price tags, but this reflects Walmart's decision to offer more work related clothing that requires more material to assemble. Target's jackets are also a bit more expensive, reflecting their decision to approach a more "stylish" consumer.

Verdict: Kmart. Kmart's jacket represents the absolute least one could pay for a warm winter jacket. While Target and Walmart both have valid reasons for the higher prices of their jackets, Kmart's prices reign supreme.

Overall: For a bargain shopper, Kmart offers the best solution for coats, as they have the cheapest product that will still keep one warm in the winter weather. However, for the hard-working, or active consumers, Walmart may offer the best option. Target offers many stylish options for winter clothing, however one must be careful not to trade warmth for style.

 Target's C9 Puffer Jacket

 Kmart's Canyon River Blues Jacket

 Walmart's Dickies Jacket

Organic Food-Super Target or Walmart Supercenter?

America's two largest retailers, Walmart and Target, both operate large, "hypermarket" versions of their traditional stores, both of which carry a full line of groceries. While both carry a large selection of standards groceries, both companies have also begun to focus on fresh, healthy foods for the health minded consumer. So how do the two match up?

Walmart: According to a recent analysis by Scarborough Research, Walmart Supercenters sell more organic produce than any other store in the United States. Due to its large size, Walmart is able to offer the lowest prices around on most organic foods, including milk, grains, and the majority of produce, including apples, bananas, peppers, and carrots. However, there has also been criticism of Walmart's organic foods. Since Walmart constantly strives to provide the lowest-priced products around, some organic food consumers have accused Walmart of cutting corners with their products, and labeling foods as organic, even when they may contain pesticides or other non-organic chemicals.

Target: Target stores, including both Super Target and a growing number of regular Target stores to include fresh grocery, display their organic products prominently. While Walmart's website makes little mention of their organic line, Target's website provides consumers with recipes, nutrition information, and information on where their organic products have been grown. Target's organic food is generally slightly more expensive than Walmart's, however the difference is very rarely any more than 5%.

Verdict: Super Target. Although Walmart offers the cheapest organic food, doubts about whether or not it may be poorly prepared or misrepresented reflect negatively on Walmart's line of organic foods. Target's intangibles, including recipe ideas, buying guides, and easy-to-find nutrition information, make paying slightly more for their organic food worth it.