The aisles are wide, but shorter than Walmart's aisles for one. Displays are simple and at least in women's apparel the racks are arranged in "neighborhoods" so that one steps easily from juniors to misses to women's and maternity "departments." The dressing room is tucked away in a private corner between the men's and women's departments. There's no loud public address system or piped in music to interrupt one's revery while shopping. In "my" Target, there are no self-checkout aisles.
I've not purchased clothing for myself from Target though my girls like the options there. I have purchased one pair of suede wedge pumps and last fall I sprang for two Gilligan & O'Malley bras a week before I won a giveaway from AsheMischief for a new Playtex.
Target is the second-largest retailer in the U.S. behind Walmart. It grew out of the Minnesota based Dayton Dry Goods Company beginning it's expansion in 1968 to St. Louis. Dayton's strategy was to buy up department stores and to re-open as a discount retailer believing that it offered more upscale, trend-forward merchandise at lower costs. I was interested to learn that Target attracts younger and more educated and affluent customers than Walmart. The median shopper is 41 years old, with a household income roughly $63,000. Seventy-six percent of their customers are female. Eighty percent have attended college and 48% have completed college. An astounding 97% of American consumers recognize the Target Bullseye logo.
Target sells more gift cards than any other retailer in the United States though I don't think I've ever purchased one. It was curious to discover that some of their gift card designs are patented and are also collectors items. Have any of you seen the scratch and sniff card or the one that glows in the dark or the one that records a voice message?
They also offer a REDcard, either in debit or credit form, which grants shoppers a 5% savings in store and online as well as free shipping on all Target.com purchases. One percent of the purchases registered to this card are donated to the eligible K-12 school of your choice.
I have worried that my project was too centered on the continental United States. Target in recent years has expanded to India, Hawaii, and in 2013 it will open 100-150 stores in Canada. And this year, it intends to open urban, multi-level stores in Chicago, Los Angeles and New York. I wonder if my readers have visited any of the existing multi-level stores in the Bronx or Brooklyn, San Diego, Seattle, Washington, D.C, Atlanta, Miami, or New Orleans. I'm especially curious about the green roof stores in Chicago. I know that some stores in my area are full-line groceries though I have avoided them because the parking is a nightmare.
Target, unlike Walmart, does not sell guns or tobacco. During the holidays, you will not be solicited by a Salvation Army bell-ringer though Target ranks as one of the most philanthropic companies in the US. I know that in my area, unused, returned or seasonal merchandise is donated to the Goodwill; I've purchased Target product there. And in addition to Nascar sponsorships, it hosts free admissions to art museums in New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles.
Target has been open to some of the criticisms of other big box stores: it contributes to suburban sprawl; it offers low prices for poor work conditions; it has sold products outlawed by the Environmental Protection Agency. It was a Target pharmacist who refused to dispense the Plan B emergency contraceptive in 2005. It has made political contributions that have been controversial in the LGBT community.
I didn't spend a penny on any of my trips, but there was a pair of canvas boat shoes, a swim suit, a striped dress, and a delicious chambray maternity shirt that did give me pause.
Goodness!
ReplyDeleteI am familiar with Target,as there are many in Australia,but not as many as there are in the States!
None whatsoever in New Zealand,that I am aware of! We have only 2 K-Marts in Christchurch,and I am rather glad we don't have any Wal-Marts in this country either!Mind you,when I am in the States,I will check out Wal-Mart,for the novelty value,really.I find the mix of goods available really odd!I'm not a fan of mixing my groceries with clothing and electrical goods!The closest we have is something called The Warehouse,which is obviously based on an American model.The only American chain I would really love to see here is Taco Bell!
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Helga--I'll be writing about K-Mart next Friday. I hadn't been in one in years before I stopped in to snap photos this past week. Are you planning a trip to the US? If so, you must come visit us. We'd show you a good time and treat you to TacoBell several times a day. It has a bit of a reputation here as a place where stoners go to eat late at night.
DeleteI have been to the Target in Atlantic Center (Brooklyn, 2 levels) many times since I live near it. In the distant past I've purchased clothes there (including a pair of navy cotton jeans that I wear all the time) but more recently have had a hard time justifying it since I am striving to avoid sweatshop stuff.
ReplyDeleteI also used to frequent the Target in Queens (the more forgotten borough) which is also 2 levels.
If I'm at Target nowadays it's likely for housewares or pet goods of some sort but that's rare and isn't more than twice a year. I do get my grandparents a Target giftcard each Christmas since I know they need money for household stuff (limited income) and they won't accept cash from me - but I know they have a Target (and Petco for dog food).
Jesse--I can understand the giftcards for the grandparents. I am frequently astounded at the amounts of money made on pet products. I wonder in a city, where so many purchase supplies without a car, is it a problem getting home with the goods?
DeleteI tend to spend a lot more money on pet products than your average bear since I ended up with so many cats due to my rescue work. The number has stabilized and I no longer do hands-on rescue work but I am still left with a tidy sum of cats. Most of the times I get their food and litter from our work-requirement food co-op. Their cat grass comes from the farmer's market but their scratchers comes from pets stores or places like Target.
DeleteTransport is pretty easy with the city Targets - they are usually very near a subway stop so if something is manageable on the train, it's easy to get it home. Otherwise there are livery car services that line up outside the Targets to offer people expensive rides home. I've taken them up on that and I've also called my own car service numbers and had them pick me up.
We have two Target stores within a mile of our house, and I'll admit that I LOVE Target. Much of our "incidental" home decor is from Target, and we purchase our "Method" household cleaning supplies there as well as kitchenware, much of my son's clothing, and personal care products like shampoo, deodorant and toothpaste. (The Target nearest my house is reported to be the highest volume store in the US. Go on a Saturday afternoon and you'll believe it.)
ReplyDeleteDejaPseu--Come to think of it, I have incidentals purchased in the home decor department though most is over 5 years old at this point. I have used the "method" products, left behind by a former tenant, and was pleasantly surprised by their effectiveness and 'green-ness') I would not venture in to a Target on a weekend if I could avoid it.
DeleteOh, I've also been to the huge Target in Harlem (which is in NYC's "main" borough of Manhattan) at least once. This is the one where the kids dropped a shopping cart in the multi-level parking lot and killed that poor woman.
ReplyDeleteSo Target actually has at least 3 big stores in NYC areas.
Jesse--Yes, two Targets in my area are infamous for crimes that took place, primarily in their parking lots. One was a shooter who went on a bit of an afternoon spree. At another, a young shopper was abducted...and later found dead in a local park.
DeleteJeez. Who knew there were so many horrible things happening at Target?
Delete@Jesse- I was in Midwood, Brooklyn, yesterday, meeting a student by Brooklyn College. There is a bigger, newer, evidently slightly nicer (but even more of an eyesore) Target there, at the end of the 2 train. I didn't go inside, but I know that there are more.
ReplyDeleteI once was all excited to eat dinner in Ft. Greene, close to the main Brooklyn Target so I could get my cat's preferred kitty litter. I braved the crowds and pushed through to the pet section, and it was out of stock, as many products are in this Target. I haven't gone there (or any Target) in about 2 years. Evidently, this Target has the highest or close to highest sales in the country, which explains why stuff is frequently out of stock on the shelves.
Rad--your cat's preferred kitty litter! Target has gone designer in the pet department too according to sources I read for this post! We don't have an urban (i.e., pedestrian) Target in my area as we are 'out West' and still have not confronted the problems of automobile culture.
Delete@ Rad - I didn't even know about that one! I've only been to the Atlantic one in Bklyn. I've only been a few times per year but they are often out of stuff, too, although I imagine it's not on par with the food co-op, where I'm always having to sub one brand for the other.
DeleteI snagged the coral version of that knit skirt. It's wonderfully squishy and comfy.
ReplyDeleteIf I'm going to purchase from Target, I try to do it through Goodwill. Target consistently gets poor grades when it comes to labor practices, so I'd rather my money go to Goodwill. But living in a place with fewer options than others, Target does get my business.
Oh, Katie, I want to SEE you in the skirt! I didn't try it on, but I could see many possibilities with the blue one in my wardrobe.
DeleteIt was interesting to read up about their labor practices. They tout diversity and offer domestic partner benefits to all employees, but of course, being a discount retailer, won't offer a living wage.
I love Target. In the Kentucky suburb where I grew up, Target was (IS) considered uppity. I will go out of my way (because I have to) to shop at Target in Oklahoma. I do not buy clothes there (too cheap and cheaply made), but I buy the things available at Walmart or drugstores: shampoo, face cleanser, feminine products, etc. If I'm going to buy these at chains, let it be at Target. And about the Target politics, look at Minnesota. No surprise. And it's not that far away from Oklahoma (or Kansas, quite frankly).
ReplyDeleteTarget, uppity? I think they have deliberately courted this aura via their designer collaborations in various departments. It's not all clothing, but household design and pet supplies as well. You don't need to tell me about conservative politics. I'm a quiet Democrat in a very red state.
DeleteOne of the strangest things about finding Target items at the Goodwill here in Oklahoma, is that often these items were cheaper, new, at Target. (Target usually donates items that didn't sell at 75% off.) The two things I always buy at Target are Cheer Color Guard Detergent and shelled pistachios. If you wear Converse, they have a really good assortment. They carry the best hangers. Their housewares department is terrific. Their return policies are clear and fair, keeping prices lower. My son bought me an ipod there, knowing that I could (with my gift receipt) exchange or upgrade, or just get a gift card, without losing $40 (10% restocking fee charged by other stores) for 3 months. And if you lose your receipt, just show them the credit or debit card you used and they can find it for you.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite thing about two story Targets is the special escalator for the shopping carts. And most people would be surprised at how much Target has donated to their designated school through various programs. It was a lot more than I expected.
Beryl--I've had the same experience with "new" items from a number of retailers with items in a thrift. I found a "new" Talbots blouse and the thrift wanted nearly $30 for it. I kept shopping and found the same blouse at another thrift, also new, for $3! DH is a fan of pistachios, though shelling is half the fun. The only retailer I've had track down a receipt for me was BestBuy.
DeleteI would love to see an escalator for shopping carts. Where would I have to go to see this curiosity?
I sometimes dropped into Target in OKC and in SLC, but I must admit Wal-Mart was my first choice, only because it was closer. I have never routinely bought clothes at either, mainly because back then they didn't stock stuff I liked or I'd already got the charity shop bug. I was reminded by your mention of guns that when I split with husband #2 (aptly named), in determining the value of his 'estate' I pulled his gun collection out from under the bed, wrote down serial numbers and went to Wal-Mart where the man patiently told me the purchase price of each. I do tend to get myself into trouble, buying shoes in the US at places like Target because they are so inexpensive. Then again we are generally there in summer - so I buy summer shoes - and it is rarely warm enough here in Britain to wear them...Love the flowered sneakers, the feather earrings and that diagonal striped t-shirt. (Wonder what McCarthy would have made of the REDcard ;->)
ReplyDeleteShelley--your story about the guns is an example of one way that service at discount retailers CAN be personalized. I have similar experiences in my local Walmart, but do not have the personalized feeling at Target. The clerks I have encountered at Target often strike me as tired, though pleasant women who primarily identify as housewives. Target is where I am likely to buy novelty shoes. I'd send you the flowered sneakers though the postage would be more than the shoes.
DeleteTired sales women depress me, though I can't know their circumstances and perhaps they are pleased to have the opportunity to bring in some extra cash. V. sweet of you to offer to send me the shoes, I'll pass this time. I'm in the process of trying to unload extraneous stuff (v. much against my grain!). If another pair of shoes came into this house before that is done I think Bill might have me sectioned (as in committed)!
DeleteVery interesting facts about Target that I did not know. My daughter prefers Target. I like to hit the after Christmas clearance but seldom do b/c it is 45 min away.
ReplyDeleteLinda--I'm a fan of after-Christmas bargains too. I'm impressed that your Target is so far away. Is there a Walmart closer? I think a generation a bit younger than ourselves definitely prefers Target.
DeleteI buy almost all of my non-thrifted clothes at Target.
ReplyDeleteI've had good luck with shoes and bras, but haven't sampled much else.
DeleteI've heard lots about Target, of course, but we don't have them up here and I'm only rarely across the border. I'd love to check a store out one of these days.
ReplyDeleteMater--I think Target is coming and given the liveliness of a city like Vancouver it is hard to imagine you won't have one. Are there Zellers in your area? That's the new Target.
DeleteTarget has a very good business model, and they make their in-store shopping experience quite pleasurable. I've bought exercise wear and rain boots there, though I'm still leery of making actual clothing purchases. (I tend to make mistakes in lower-cost stores and buy quality that I'm eventually unhappy with).
ReplyDeleteTarget recently made the news, of course, with their privacy practices. A couple of articles have been written about how they've tried to target/identify new parents as potential customers by tracking the purchases that women make in the early stages of pregnancy, using that information to figure out which customers might be pregnant and then market to them. I suspect they're not the only ones doing this kind of thing. Though I find it creepy, part of me wonders if this attention to the "science of selling" is a big part of their success.
Anne--I think I am wary of clothing purchases there because my laundry routine is not very refined. I'm hard on clothing that way.
DeleteI did read about the data mining...and even though the RedCard might be a savings to the shopper, it also allows them to profile one's consumption habits. Even in thrifts, I tend more and more to pay cash to avoid this very thing.
I think Target has done a great job of staying relevant to all ages....come on over and give me your thoughts about my question today. I read an article that said macys, jcp, gap, sears, and talbots were fighting to stay in business and would be closing stores. It makes me wonder...what do we think the perfect department store looks like??
ReplyDeleteMaintaining a stand alone store, even in a mall, has REAL costs attached. My college has a similar dilemma. We are a decentralized campus with five locations to maintain. Online education or online shopping sidesteps these costs.
DeleteI'm kinda excited about the prospect of gaining some Target stores next year, even though it is at the cost of losing a Canadian company. However their offerings where never very varied, and I'm looking forward to seeing the designer collaborations in person!
ReplyDeleteDamnGreenDress--I had wondered if Zellars would change its name and be known as Target. It will be curious to see what your reactions to this retailer might be. Are there Walmarts in your area?
DeleteWow, great background, Terri. I do enjoy this big box store for personal stuff like shampoo and vitamins, and basics like tees and undies. I can't do the weekend crowd though!
ReplyDeletePatti--we were in a store just yesterday. DH was looking for some adapter for a photo tripod and YES, it was crowded!
DeleteWhat an excellent post of Target! I have seen the name often on blogs, but have had no idea what kind of a store it is.
ReplyDeleteThank you for detailing.
As I dislike big stores, I don´t think, that I´d enter a Target store though. But, in US, I guess, avoiding one, is difficult.
Mette--It is a big box discount retailer that fancies its merchandise is more upscale. Not quite as inexpensive as Walmart. You're right that in some ways our shopping options have grown more limited since the downturn in the economy.
DeleteI've heard of it but Target hasn't penetrated the UK yet.
ReplyDeleteI find that type of shop soulless, for me the thrill of shopping is in the hunt, finding something unique and individual. Popping a skirt in your trolley along with your bananas is just wrong. x
I wonder if Target intends to set up shop in the UK. But I totally agree that groceries and clothing don't mix!
DeleteI occasionally shop at Target - we have one in our area. Mostly I shop there for cosmetics, snacks, cat litter and household stuff. I've bought tights and basic t-shirts there, and some stuff from the Liberty of London for Target collection when it was out, but these days I try not to buy clothes there just because I am trying to avoid anything sweatshop made. But I have to say that whatever I've bought at Target has lasted pretty well, especially the basic cotton long-sleeve t-shirts!
ReplyDeleteThe Waves--I agree that the tees are fairly well made. I have several that I've thrifted, which says something about their longevity.
DeleteI have a two-level Target nearby. It used to be a Montgomery Ward store but after they went under Target took it over. They provided a huge lift to a mall that was in serious decline. The shopping center owners probably ought to have paid them to set-up there.
ReplyDeleteThey do a good job of knocking off other retailers. If you get the Athletica or JJill catalogs and then go to Target a few months later you're very likely to see similar offerings.
If you're a web shopper it's worth noting that they have offerings on their web site that do not appear in stores, particularly in the housewares section.
I feel like it's a "safe" place to shop. People may recognize something you've purchased there but it's a moderately priced store and it's "ok." I used to shop at Chicos but kept running into people with the same things on and then I felt like I'd spent too much to be meeting my twins all the time.
RoseAG--Come to think of it, there is a Target in the Ward Parkway Shopping Center, although I believe it is on one level. I don't subscribe to many catalogues so your insight about the the knock-offs was interesting. I have ordered from them online (mostly Christmas gifts for the grandkids), but not since they split with Amazon's payment program. I liked the idea that my info wasn't on multiple sites open to potential hacking. I buy my Chico's at the thrifts!
DeleteI went window shopping in the women's section at Target just yesterday! I think I know what chambray shirt you're talking about! Was it like a shirt dress? I saw a really cute one and wanted to try it on, but they only L thru XXL. I tried on some of Jason Wu's stuff. Cute, but again, only the large sizes were left. Nearly bought a pair of neon coral glasses, but resisted. Ended up with peanut butter, shaving cream for my husband, and a rain check for a couch we've been eyeing.
ReplyDeleteThe chambray shirt was in the maternity "department." Too short for a dress I think. I wrote about Jason Wu in last Friday's post and just as you found, it was pretty picked over. I always check the girls accessories--that's where those neon watches were. Years ago, I did purchase some furniture at Target.
DeleteMost interesting post Terri.
ReplyDeleteHave a wonderful Sunday, dear friend
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Sacramento--No doubt it would be more interesting if there were Target stores in Spain.
DeleteTarget is my go-to store for everyday items. I go there at least once a week and buy organic foods, basic clothing (especially knit tees), cleaning tools, paper products, and the occasional household or electronic item. I go there because it's a more pleasant environment than most other retail stores in town, and because it's one-stop shopping. (I'm not one to drive around town looking for bargains.)
ReplyDeleteMs. M--I have never purchased groceries in a Target, although I have walked the aisles of their grocery departments and been impressed by the product lines. They carry "ethnic" products one can't always find in mainstream groceries. I have purchased an iPod or two as gifts there. Target does have a corner on one-stopping shopping for all but gardening, guns and tobacco.
DeleteIt' s such a nice idea to give information of the shops that we hear a lot about by other bloggers.
ReplyDeleteOne of the greatest things about Target is the lack of music. It makes it such a calm place to shop.
ReplyDeleteMy sister and I go to Target (in Lawrence, KS, perhaps near where you are) often to check out the endcaps for clearance bargains. I have bought many many t-shirts there, as well as other clothes and household goods. The groceries are OK, not great, but it is amusing to lay out a dress and some hummus on the checkout belt.
I belong to a philanthropic organization that often gives away grocery and gas cards to people who have slipped between the cracks of the social service structure. Our recipients are generally not happy to receive Target cards because it's not where they feel comfortable shopping.