By Julia Lawrenz | LTVN Executive Producer

H-E-B or Walmart, that is the question. I know die-hard Texans will not be happy with me after they finish reading. However, I am going to come out and say it. Walmart is superior in three main categories: the overall shopping experience, prices and variety of products.

First, Walmart has a nicer overall shopping experience. I feel very strongly about this, because every time I go into H-E-B it is an absolute madhouse. The parking lot is always packed, and the journey to find a spot is hectic and stressful. So, before I even enter the store, I am already a frazzled mess. Walmart always has a large parking lot, and I never have trouble finding a spot.

Inside Walmart, the aisles are spacious, and you never have to squeeze yourself and the cart against the wall just so somebody else can walk past. While you are in H-E-B, there isn’t a free corner to stand where you don’t feel like you are in the way. When I am shopping, I don’t want to feel rushed, crowded or stressed out. I should be able to browse the aisles with ease and take my time deciding on the products I want.

I think that Walmart has gotten a bad reputation. It is known to be dirty, gross and unpleasant. However, I want to argue the exact opposite. While I understand this is no luxury shopping experience like Whole Foods, it is much better than you may think. The store always looks clean and there are lots of employees everywhere making sure everything is intact. I will admit, H-E-B does have one convenience that Walmart doesn’t. H-E-B is much closer to the Baylor campus.

Next, I want to argue that Walmart has better prices than H-E-B. While I have never conducted a real study, I believe that Walmart has lower prices. The store prides itself on the lowest prices and even provides a price match policy so if a customer finds a lower price elsewhere, Walmart will honor that and price match.

Lastly, Walmart provides a bigger variety of stock. As a whole, usually, Walmart is a bigger grocery store in a larger warehouse. Not only does this make the store feel more spacious, but it also allows for more products. Sometimes when I go to H-E-B, I feel as if their shelves are a little bare. Perhaps they have so many customers that the shelves are picked over before the employees have time to restock. I’m not sure the reason for their empty shelves, but I have found it to be an issue in the past. I can always trust that Walmart will have what I need and more. The aisles are so long that I always discover a new product when I am searching the shelves.

I hope the Texans reading this aren’t too offended, and before you make any quick judgments, please just go to Walmart with an open mind and see if you like it better.