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Walmart and Costco are both decent bets.
- Where can you turn in the event of an apocalypse?
- Well, when it comes to different national retailers, some chains are more useful than others in case of an emergency.
- Costco, Sam's Club, and BJ's all sell supplies that could potentially be crucial, while you're better off skipping over other shops and restaurants.
We've all heard of the retail apocalypse. But which retailer should you turn to in the event of an actual apocalypse?
Business Insider spoke to John Ramey, the founder and editor of The Prepared, a site that teaches people how to get ready for potential emergencies. We ran a few popular chain stores by Ramey to get his insight into which would provide the most helpful supplies or the best setting to ride out doomsday.
But according to him, the idea of sheltering in a retail setting "doesn't map with the reality of how things go in a disaster."
"You wouldn't want to set up shop in any of those stores," he told Business Insider. "They're easy targets and too many other panicked people will be thinking the same thing."
Read more: 15 things you can buy from Costco, Amazon, Sam's Club, and BJ's to be ready for when the apocalypse hits
Basically, you're better off sticking around at home. But if you find yourself trapped at the mall or forced to venture out into the post-apocalyptic world to gather supplies, some outlets could be more useful than others.
"If you have to, go to the bigger box stores with a wider variety of products ranging from non-perishable food to medicine, clothing, tools, and shelter," Ramey said. "Costco and Sam's Club are much better choices than Trader Joe's."
He added that most Americans "only have a few days worth of food and liquids" in their own homes.
"So getting food and water will be one of your first priorities when things fall apart - but a lot of other people will be thinking the same thing, so you'll need to move fast before the shelves are empty," he said.
Here's a breakdown of how helpful a number of big-box stores, chain restaurants, and other ubiquitous retailers would prove to be in the event of a widespread emergency: