Foursquare recently compiled a list using results from shoppers using the Swarm app. This list shows the most popular chain retail store in each of the 50 states (and Washington D.C.). Does your state’s favorite place to shop surprise you?
Alabama: Target
In 2013, the retailer opened a 136,000-square-foot elevated store over ground-level parking. It features a two-story glass atrium connecting the parking lot to the store. Elevators, stairs and escalators—including escalators for shopping carts called “cartalators” or “cartveyors”—transport transport shoppers between floors.
The state has seven Supercenters, two regular discount stores and three Sam’s Clubs for a total of 12 Walmart-brand stores, for a population of more than 700,000 residents. The first Walmart in Alaska opened in Juneau in 2007.
While the first Walmart ever opened in 1962 in Rogers, Arkansas, residents seem to prefer Target. As of 2016, there were nine Target stores throughout the state.
The Grand Canyon State is saturated with Walmart stores. There are 82 Supercenters, 27 Neighborhood Markets, 16 Sam’s Clubs, one discount store and a single Walmart On Campus, which is at Arizona State University in Tempe.
With a whopping 273 stores covering 35,575,000 square feet of retail space, it’s easy to see that Target is popular throughout California. The state also boasts the most distribution centers in the nation, with five warehouses.
Perhaps residents love this retailer because Colorado is one state that features Target stores with building designs tailored to the location. The Silverthorne store, for example, features large, rustic timbers and metal roofs, which add to the mountain lodge theme while providing protection from the elements.
Connecticut is fond of Walmart and it shows. Despite being on the smaller side, the state is home to a dozen Supercenters, 21 discount stores, one Neighborhood Market and three Sam’s Clubs.
There may be only three stores in the state, but Delaware residents prefer Target, at least according to the study. Perhaps one reason is because stores in the state were part of a redesigned Electronics and Entertainment area that allows shoppers to discover and interact with the merchandise.
With roots in Japan, UNIQLO has become an international leader in clothing retail, opening stores throughout the U.S. There is currently only one store in Florida, so it may seem surprising that it is the most popular chain in the state. Perhaps part of the reason is its location: Disney Springs, at the Walt Disney World Resort.
With 51 stores and 3 distribution centers across the state, it’s safe to say that Georgia loves Target. The feeling seems to be mutual. In 2016, the retailer made sizable donations to the area following Hurricane Matthew.
The Aloha State has a dozen Walmart stores: 10 discount stores and a couple of Sam’s Clubs. In fact, there are Walmart locations on each of the four major islands.
The 20 stores and single distribution center are Iowa mainstays. In fact, residents soon may even be able to buy fireworks at the retail shopping chain.
A branch of the Kroger Company, this chain of superstores has 15 food stores and 11 jewelry stores in Idaho. In 2015, the retailer made more than $2,400,000 in contributions to local food banks, schools and nonprofit organizations in the state.
This up-and-coming retailer makes the list once more. The single store in Illinois—the 47th location of this shopping chain—on North Michigan Avenue in Chicago must be very busy, as it ranked as the state’s most popular chain in this study.
Target has strong ties to Indiana, with 31 stores and one distribution center in the state. In addition, the Target and Chip Ganassi Racing team have 10 career IndyCar Series championships and four Indianapolis 500 victories.
There are currently just over a dozen Target stores in Kentucky, although they may be getting a new, unique location. The University of Kentucky is considering a new, on-campus Target store.
Perhaps one of the reasons the 16 Target stores in Louisiana are so popular is because residents feel like the retailer really cares. For instance, when Baton Rouge and other areas were flooded in 2016, Target team members volunteered to help with food, water and even rescue efforts.
With only a handful of Target stores in the state (five, to be exact), renovations at some of the locations may have helped make it so popular. Offering a full grocery department makes shopping at the retail chain convenient.
Another relative newcomer makes the list. While there are nearly 300 of the diverse department stores internationally, only three of them are currently in Massachusetts. The newest one, in Braintree, features 37 fitting rooms and two “recharge” seating areas in a 41,000-square-foot space.
In addition to shopping options, the company helps strengthen the state’s economy. Walmart is involved with Pure Michigan Business Connect, which has led to contracts worth roughly $160 million for Michigan companies.
It is only fitting that Target is the most popular shopping chain in Minnesota, since the retailer has its roots in the state. Founder George Draper Dayton formed Dayton Dry Goods Company—now known as Target—in Minneapolis in 1902.
Shoppers in Mississippi love Target, and the chain is rather fond of them as well. In May of 2017, the retailer launched an exclusive collection of products from Mississippi-based paper, gift and lifestyle brand Thimblepress.
Even though Walmart is reportedly the state’s largest employer, it seems that consumers prefer shopping at Target. There are nearly three dozen Target stores in Missouri. Flickr | JeepersMedia
Montana: Walmart
Walmart was one of the first big box stores in Montana towns such as Bozeman. There are more than a dozen Supercenters and a couple of Sam’s Clubs in the state now, as well.
Perhaps Walmart is popular in Nevada because it treats customers and employees well. When the Walmart Training Academy in Las Vegas held its first graduation in June 2017, employees were celebrated with a ceremony including robes, tassels and speeches.
Along with operating more than 30 stores in the state, Walmart has been involved in community efforts. The shopping chain has helped conserve open spaces in New Hampshire and worked with the state to host State House Day.
More than just a well-liked place to shop, Target has made efforts to make the Garden State even lovelier. In 2012, the shopping chain helped turn a 14-acre landfill in Stafford Township into a LEED-certified Target store.
With more than 50 locations throughout the state, Walmart seems to look for ways to give back to New Mexico. In 2014, the Walmart Foundation awarded some $350,000 to nonprofit agencies in the state.
In 1872, the Bloomingdale brothers opened their first shop in New York’s Lower East Side. Today, there are Bloomingdale’s stores around the country, including about half a dozen in the Empire State.
There will be even more Target stores for North Carolina residents to appreciate, as the shopping chain has plans to open new stores in Chapel Hill and Raleigh in 2017. Features at these stores will include grab-and-go groceries and meal solutions for students as well as Target Mobile and Order Pickup.
There are only a handful of Target stores in the state, but they are uniquely appealing. For instance, some of the stores are inside of shopping malls, such as the Target in Bismarck’s Kirkwood Mall.
With 173 stores in the state, Walmart certainly has a presence in Ohio. The shopping chain is at work in local communities throughout the state as well, donating hundreds of thousands of dollars to help Ohio families in need.
Even before it was known as Target, the shopping chain was making a mark in Oklahoma. In the 1970s, the retailer (then known as the Dayton-Hudson Corporation) gave away pine trees to customers and employees in the state.
As a young man, Fred G. Meyer sold coffee from a horse-drawn cart to hard-working people in Portland. In 1922, he opened the first Fred Meyer store there as well. There are now dozens of the superstores throughout Oregon and the United States.
There are more than 150 Walmart-brand stores in Pennsylvania. In addition, the retail chain opened its state-of-the-art online order fulfillment center in the state in 2015, creating jobs and expediting order delivery.
The handful of Target stores in Rhode Island are active in local communities. For instance, they help with recycling efforts by providing plastic bag and film recycling containers.
Walmart offers more than 100 stores in South Carolina, including Supercenters, Neighborhood Markets and Sam’s Clubs. In addition, the shopping chain began working with state’s Department of Agriculture in 2008, promoting locally-grown produce.
There are fewer than 20 Walmart stores in the state, but the shopping chain seems to have an impact. When a new Supercenter opened in Sioux Falls in 2016, the Walmart Foundation announced a $160,000 donation to Feeding South Dakota.
There are nearly three dozen Target stores in the state. There is also a building called The Target House in Memphis. In 1999, the shopping chain funded the construction of the building, which houses families with children undergoing treatment at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
With nearly 150 stores and three distribution centers, Target is deep in the heart of Texas. In 2016, the shopping chain also pitched in on a wind farm to help the state generate more clean, renewable energy.
The dozens of Walmart stores in Utah are so popular that some customers won’t let anything stop them from shopping. In 2016, a woman delivered her baby in the checkout line of a Provo location. (Mom and baby were fine, and she paid for her groceries before heading to the hospital.)
With three discount stores and three Supercenters, Walmart stores are popular in Vermont, where Walmart continues to invest. The retailer plans to spend millions remodeling and enhancing the stores. It has also contributed $460,000 to area nonprofits.
Bloomingdale’s was likely the first upscale department store, starting with a Ladies’ Notions Shop in New York City in the late 1800s. Since the first colony was in Virginia, perhaps it is the ideal match.
Fred Meyer purchased the Markettime chain in Seattle in the 1960s, and had more than 40 stores in four states by the end of the decade. Some Fred Meyer stores in Washington now offer online ordering and curbside pickup service.
In 1858, Rowland Hussey Macy opened a dry goods store in New York City called R. H. Macy & Co. Over time, it blossomed into a full-fledged department store chain, which now has hundreds of locations including a single store in Washington, D.C.
There are more than 40 locations of the popular shopping chain in West Virginia. A favorite is the Triadelphia Supercenter, which incorporates the natural stone, wood and landscaping of the area.
Madison is home to a Target store designed with its surroundings in mind. The prairie-style building was inspired by the architecture of Wisconsin native Frank Lloyd Wright.
Wyoming has a dozen Supercenters and a couple of Sam’s Clubs, keeping the chain popular throughout the state. Walmart has also helped preserve state land with its Acres for America grant program.
