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In today's day and age, it's so easy to just shop online that you may feel like there's no reason to ever actually get dressed and venture out of your home to make purchases. But while clicking a mouse may seem like the simplest way to get the items you need, there are actually some big-box stores that are absolutely still worth shopping at. Here are five of them.
1. Walmart
Walmart may not have always had the best reputation, but it's a store worth shopping at for many reasons. For one thing, prices are extremely competitive. You'll often pay less at Walmart retail stores for items than you'd pay if you purchased online.
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Walmart has also revamped its customer service efforts in recent years, with its famous "people greeters" now doing more tasks including helping to facilitate returns. Walmart has even purchased many premium brands including Justice clothing so you can find some stylish, affordable wardrobe staples there as well.
2. Target
Target is a close competitor to Walmart, but it's also worth a visit.
Target offers plenty of name-brand products in multiple departments including clothing and cosmetics. Clearance items are plentiful on Target end caps, and Target offers price matching so you can be confident you're getting the best deal.
Target also promises hassle-free returns, and you can take back items to any Target within 90 days of purchase.
3. Costco
Costco is beloved by customers for good reason. Its famous Kirkland brand offers many high quality products at unbeatable prices. Visiting the store is also fun because free food samples abound. And if those samples aren't enough to fill you up, Costco has a famous $1.50 hot dog and soda deal that can't be beat.
Best of all, Costco has an amazing return policy. Other than limited exceptions such as electronics, you can return just about any Costco item at any time.
4. Lowe's
Buying home improvement materials online can be a hassle because they are often large and require careful measuring. The good news is, Lowe's is well worth shopping at so you can just visit this store instead of buying online.
Lowe's offers 90-day returns for most items, and it provides helpful in-store services such as cutting wood to size for customers. It is also a pet-friendly store, so you won't have to leave your dog at home when you venture out to shop.
5. Big Lots
Big Lots has overstock and clearance merchandise, so prices cannot be beat. The selection of items is constantly changing, so you never know exactly what you'll find at a Big Lots store. On any given day, though, you can expect affordable furniture, gourmet and international food and coffee, repackaged name-brand cosmetics and toiletries, seasonal items, and more.
Big Lots also gives you 30 days to return items, and you can even return assembled items or items outside of their original packaging in some circumstances.
Because each of these stores has customer-friendly policies and affordable prices, it's worth checking them out rather than just defaulting to typing your credit card info into a website and clicking buy!
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We're firm believers in the Golden Rule, which is why editorial opinions are ours alone and have not been previously reviewed, approved, or endorsed by included advertisers. The Ascent does not cover all offers on the market. Editorial content from The Ascent is separate from The Motley Fool editorial content and is created by a different analyst team.Christy Bieber has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Costco Wholesale, Target, and Walmart Inc. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.
