Tar-get. Tar-jay. No matter what you call it, this is a place where dreams come to fruition. It’s where you can buy your favorite guilty pleasure frozen pizzas (Palmero’s, anyone?), while also buying the new trendy Apple product, because the iPhone 5 is like, so last year. Oh, and you obviously have to get that scarf. It would look great with those new boots you just threw in the cart. Here are the 10 reasons why I love Target, and so should you:
1) Walking in the door, you are immediately greeted with a plethora of carts to choose from. Never in my life have I walked into this store to see a shortage of these oversized, anxious-to-be-filled goodie bags. What’s that you say? Your cart has one of those broken wheels that forces you in the exact opposite direction you want to go? (Side bar: this is inevitable at any store that uses carts.) No need to worry. There are plenty others waiting to be snatched up.
2) Target knows their consumer extremely well, and therefore knows how to organize its sections to promote optimal purchasing habits. Now I don’t have any statistics in front of me that can prove this, but I would be willing to bet that the wide majority of Target go-ers are women. Please, hold your applause for my gambling capabilities. Because of this, the sections are set up around the store to appeal to the wants and needs of the woman consumer, as well as the commonality of the purchases. (I realize how this sounds: the stereotypical mother role. She does the shopping for the kids, for the groceries, or for her husband. What can I say, I’m somewhat of a traditionalist. Kudos to you, Mr. Mom.) Clothing, accessories, shoes and intimates? All can be seen within the first minute of walking in, and in all likelihood, most of these are impulse purchases. Household products, toiletries and groceries are the next most convenient sections. Home decor and children’s clothing? Right smack dab in the middle of the store. Electronics, given how infrequently people buy them, are placed at the very back. Logical, isn’t it? Some people might say Target should put sections that get the most traffic at the back of the store. As a result, consumers would be forced to pass the less common purchases and take the time to think about if they want or need to buy one of these items. To these people I say, congrats, you’re thinking like a marketer. But as a consumer, I’m fairly happy with my physically lazy self only having to make a short walk to get to my mascara.
3) SALE. It’s the word both men and women get giddy about when they see it. Bodies jump up and down. Eyes bulge out of sockets. High-pitched phrases like “What a steal!” are thrown around every two minutes. And this word, or a variation of it, over which everyone is unnecessarily losing their minds pervades the Target aisles. Which brings me to my next point…
4) The penny-saving, metallic-red shimmering, logo-bearing Target REDcard. Sign up for one of these bad boys, and you can save 5% on every purchase. Granted, this doesn’t sound like much, but when you go into the store with the intention of only buying deodorant and a pack of gum, and you come out with new patio furniture and some puppy food when you don’t even have a puppy, the 5% can take a chunk out of your final total. (Disclaimer: I am not referring to my own past purchases.) On top of that, cardholders get free shipping on the Target website AND 30 extra days for returns with the REDcard. What more could you ask for?
5) The cleanliness of the store is always flawless. I bet Beyonce wrote that chart-topping hit based on her Target experiences… Okay no probably not, but should we start that rumor?
6) You are only as strong as your weakest link. Or so I hear. The good news for Target: when it comes to their employees, there is no weakest link. To those who work the fitting rooms, thank you for cleaning up the tornado of clothes I left in the very last room, as well as the mountain of “no”s and “didn’t work”s and “that couldn’t have been a size small”s building up beside you. To those working in electronics, thank you for answering every obnoxious, ignorant question I (and others) ask you about the difference between this HDMI cord and that one. I know it isn’t enthralling, but you do it with a smile on your face. To those who stock the shelves, you are the reason every single person who walks through those doors is able to buy what they want to buy. Because they certainly wouldn’t walk around trying to find the one dolly that is carrying their value size, sensitive skin, HE laundry detergent with the pretty purple cap. To those who work at check-out, the positive attitudes and genuine interest you show your customers tops off the ultimate Target experience.
“I enjoy meeting people from different places and having a chance to help my store out. I know how important it is to get people in the store to sell our products and make people happy,” Robin, describing her favorite part about working at Target
7) You can be assured of the quality of the products being sold at this store. Designers want to feature their new lines at Target. New fashion trends are being put on display and sold to the masses at an affordable price. Pinterest-lovers and interior design enthusiasts come here with the hope of finding that perfect finishing touch for their new apartment. New York Times Bestsellers are lining the shelves for the bookworm’s perusal. There is something here for everyone, and it’s all available as high quality without breaking the bank.
8) One beauty of Target.com is that if you search for an item, it will tell you whether or not that particular item is sold in stores. What a gift. There is nothing worse than going to a store knowing exactly what you plan to buy, and having someone tell you that either a) “I’m sorry, that’s only sold online” or b) “I’m sorry, we’re out of stock.” I appreciate the apology, and I know this isn’t your fault, but I’m still annoyed. Thankfully, you can avoid this irritating dilemma with Target.com.
9) Has anyone ever seen the TV show Extreme Couponing on TLC? It is truly amazing how much time those people probably put in to saving and organizing all of those coupons. More power to you, I guess. But Target.com has its own collection of coupons, right at your fingertips, and you don’t have to have an encyclopedia-sized binder to put them in. It could be 75 cents off of Bailey’s Non-Alcoholic Coffee Creamer (Um, what? That sounds delicious, and I don’t even drink coffee). Or it could be $10 off a purchase of $40 or more. For those on a budget, like myself, that $10 saved is going towards my next meal out my savings account. Plus, the Target “Cartwheel” app is available for smartphones so that you can get coupons with the tap of a finger.
10) Maybe the most thought-provoking statement made in this post: Target is not Walmart.
So if you ever find yourself in a position where you need to buy a razor and a Razor scooter (not actually sure those are still being sold anywhere), now you know where to start. If you need me, I’ll be starting my Christmas list with the help of Target.com.
It’s the most wonderful time of the year.
The Brandwasher 