I compared Target's and Walmart's Hanukkah sections, and Walmart's quirky items are perfect for Hanukkah parties
Talia Lakritz  Â
- I went to Target and Walmart the night before Hanukkah began to compare their Hanukkah sections.
- It took three Target employees to find the small selection at the store I visited in New Jersey.
My first stop for Hanukkah shopping was Target in Cherry Hill, New Jersey.
I went shopping the night before Hanukkah, which was the Saturday night following Black Friday, so the parking lot was full of shoppers.
The Target had a giant holiday section with aisles of seasonal items, but I didn't see any Hanukkah supplies there.
The first Target employee I asked about Hanukkah items recommended checking out the holiday section, but it was entirely Christmas-themed.
Another Target employee suggested trying a different holiday display near the household essentials, but there was no sign of Hanukkah there, either.
There were more generic holiday items like scented candles and red pillows, but no menorahs or dreidels.
Finally, a third Target employee looked up where to find the Hanukkah shelves and located them tucked away at the end of an aisle.
At this particular store, the menorahs and candles were located between the arts and crafts and party supplies. It's possible that other Targets have Hanukkah items for sale near the rest of the seasonal displays.
They had a plethora of gold menorahs retailing for $15, as well as candles.
There were also larger, silver menorahs for $25.
The Hanukkah section featured a dreidel game set for $5.
"Dreidel" is Yiddish for "spinning top." It has four sides with a different Hebrew letter on each one. Players start with a supply of coins, chocolate or otherwise, and take turns spinning. Depending on which letter the top lands on, they put a coin in the middle, skip their turn, win half of the coins, or take home the entire pot.
Target also had chocolate coins known as Hanukkah gelt.
A bag of chocolate coins cost $1.
They even had a "Mitzvah Moose," a blue stuffed animal with light-up candles on its antlers.
The "Mitzvah Moose" cost $24.99.
While Target had all of the Hanukkah essentials, I found the Hanukkah shelves to be pretty sparse.
To me, the Hanukkah section seemed more like an afterthought, with a narrow selection of mostly basic items.
Next, I drove a little further down the road to Walmart.
Even thought it was Saturday night, Walmart was also packed with Black Friday shoppers.
There were a few Hanukkah-themed items scattered around the store, but a Walmart employee promptly directed me to the Hanukkah shelves amid the seasonal products.
These Hanukkah socks, located near the checkout aisles, cost $1.
Walmart's Hanukkah section was also small, but it appeared to be better stocked than the one at the Target I had visited.
Target's shelves had lots of empty space compared to Walmart's shelves bursting with blue and silver.
Walmart's silver menorahs appeared to be inspired by tree trunks.
The menorahs cost $14.98 each, about the same as menorahs at Target.
Walmart also had a portable electric menorah for those who might be traveling during the holiday.
The Go Menorah cost $12.98.
Hanukkah-themed stemless glasses, which were actually plastic, retailed for $1.97.
I personally liked the colorful designs of Walmart's Hanukkah glasses better than Target's plain mugs.
Walmart's Hanukkah section had tons of holiday decor, which I didn't find at the Target I visited.
A hanging sign read "Light it up!" "Eight night," and "Eight lights."
Target does sell Hanukkah-themed decor on its website, but, according to the information there, most of the items are not available in stores.
This 6-foot Hanukkah banner cost $4.97.
The banner featured burlap panels decorated with Jewish stars and menorahs.
Some of the Hanukkah decorations veered into Christmas territory, like ceramic light-up Hanukkah trees and Hanukkah gnomes reminiscent of Santa Claus.
The light-up Hanukkah tree cost $25, and the gnome retails for $7.97.
Walmart didn't stock dreidels or gelt, but I appreciated its vibrant Hanukkah aisle.
There was nothing Hanukkah-specific about this blue and silver wreath (somehow, blue and silver have become Hanukkah colors the way red and green are Christmas colors), but it did feel festive.
After comparing the experiences at the stores I visited, I preferred Walmart's quirky, easy-to-locate Hanukkah collection.
If you're looking for more traditional basics like dreidels and gelt, Target would be the way to go. But I could envision throwing an amazing Hanukkah party with Walmart's wider selection of Hanukkah gifts and decor.
READ MORE ARTICLES ON
Popular Right Now
Popular Keywords
Advertisement