Lawton Really Thinks There’s A Difference Between Walmarts

I moved to Lawton in 2006, and the first thing I learned about this town was everyone calls the bigger Walmart the "ghetto" Walmart. Fifteen years later, it still perplexes me.

Here's a simple truth, in the eyes of the average everyday Target shopper, every Walmart is the "ghetto" Walmart... Which is even funnier considering they're identical stores operating the same business plan. Buy cheaper at volume, sell lower with the same profit margin... Same/Same.

Here's something you probably don't know about the Sheridan Road "Ghetto" Walmart... It's one of the top-performing stores across the Walmart universe. It really is, and it's easy to see why. You can pop in at pretty much any time it's open and you'll spot people shopping as far as your eyes can see. Stacks on stacks on stacks of cash seven days a week all year long.

It's also one of the biggest Walmarts across the Walton Empire. Honestly, have you ever compared inventory between the Sheridan Road and Quannah Parker locations? If you shop in the app, I bet you have... Nine times out of ten, the out-of-stock item on the West Side is in stock midtown. Still, it's labeled "ghetto."

To be fair, I understand there is a different type of person that shops at the Sheridan Road Walmart. We spotted it the day we all showed up to ring the Salvation Army bells. While it's not rare to see them at the Quannah Parker store or down South at the Neighborhood Market, you see far more people walking around in their pajamas at the Sheridan Road Walmart. We even spotted one big proud gall strolling around with her bowl full of jelly on full display the morning it was a balmy thirty degrees... No judgment, it was just something you don't expect to see casually on a cold day.

If you really think the Quannah Parker Walmart is nicer than the other two, or that Target is somehow nicer than any of the Walmarts, I think that's just something you've concocted in your own mind to somehow justify the drive across town, or convince yourself that you're not equal to anyone else around you. Also, and you'll see it when you start comparing, the prices on a lot of items are different between the three stores. Sheridan Road is often the cheaper store.