Shops

Lots of chains don't have branches in every state - it's a big country, after all. Here are some of the obvious ones.

Walmart

I don't need to tell you about Walmart. Lots of cheap crap, made in China. Very limited food selection, nothing fresh. (Don't try to buy olive oil, they'll stare at you blankly). Occasionally useful when you want something cheap and semi-disposable.

Target

Like Walmart, but classier. Sells lots of stuff, and some food. SuperTargets have fresh food, but not much.

CostCo

You need to pay to be a member of CostCo, which costs (I think) $80/year. It's worth it.

They sell food and household stuff in bulk, for the most part. They also sell other stuff - electronics, furniture, garden things. They tend to be on the cheap side. But they are also good. They have one of the best return policies (I forget what it is, but you have a long time, and no questions asked). They also do good food - their apple pies and birthday cakes (for example) are often rated amongst the best. They are one of the only stores to test mince meat (grounds, as it's called) for E Coli, so some suppliers refuse to deal with them.

They don't sell cheap wine, so don't try to buy that here. There clothes aren't super cheap either.

Home Depot

Home Depot is B&Q. It's big and it sells lots of stuff. Unlike the UK, there don't seem to be builder's merchants where proper tradespeople go - everyone goes to Home Depot.

People looking for casual work tend to congregate in Home Depot car parks (they're called Day Laborers, and wave at you when you drive in). People with pick up trucks hang around outside, offering a delivery service.

Trader Joe's

Everyone likes Trader Joe's. It's a bizarre food store. It sells mostly healthy stuff (almost no hydrogenated fats, quite a lot of organic stuff). The stores are usually small, and they tend to change their lines around fairly frequently. Home of the famous 'Two Buck Chuck' - bottles of wine for $2, which (at least according to my unsophisticated palette) is not bad. Mostly in California and the west.

Friendlier staff than any other supermarket.

Fresh and Easy

I've never been in a Fresh and Easy, but it's Tesco. Well, it's owned by them.