"Treasure hunt" and "impulse buy" aren't really the same thing. Treasure hunt implies people are coming into the store intending to spend a significant amount of time roaming around looking deeply into the aisles for good deals or unique products. The successful scenario for impulse buys is the opposite: you know your clientele is coming in mostly for birthday cards, milk, and laundry detergent so in between those sections you place an eye-catching display of new travel mugs and then near the checkout there are a variety of trendy snacks and hand sanitizers in new scents.

Target used to do its visual merchandizing very well, with the rotating designer-branded lines and curated themes throughout the store (holidays; women-owned, Black-owned, AAP-owned companies; Pride month; etc.). Now they've over-accelerated the holiday calendars, the featured product lines feel off (too many electrolyte and protein supplement lines, for starters), and inventory management (including stocking timelines and what the app displays versus what's actually on the shelf in its assigned place) is bad.

I've never really liked Target but they used to have nicer stuff than Walmart and were a middle ground between a Walmart and a department store. I have had success buying some furniture and rugs from them. But they often were out of stock of something and they aren't a discount store and their layout and size are not more convenient than anywhere else. They had cuter stuff than a discount store and did those partnerships with designers that were unique and cool but I never bought any of them. But for something cheap I'd rather go to Walmart or just get toothpaste at a supermarket.

Nope.

If I want a treasure hunt I go to ikea and explore a trail of mini living rooms and kitchens. Then I’ll eat some meatballs and a fun lingonberry dessert before going home.

That is not what I want from Target.

I think there is something to the "aging out" comments. Yes, clothing quality used to be better, but that's true everywhere. Last weekend I was at Target with my sister and teen niece. She had some birthday money and bought a couple of bathing suits and a beach bag for their spring break trip, a mug, some cosmetic stuff, a book, some kind of phone accessory. Did she need any of this stuff, no. Is any of it great quality, also no. But she doesn't care about that, she wanted to drink Starbucks and pick out a bunch of fun impulse buy type stuff.

That is exactly what I want target to be and why I don't really go there anymore. I went yesterday for the first time in months and it was empty!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:He’s totally right. Walmart and Amazon have all sorts of crap. Target was always successful because (like Costco) they were great at curating for their clients taste. So you could go in and they maybe didn’t have as broad a selection of shower curtains but they were really cute ones. And they dkdnt sell every brand of snacks but they had a bunch of really tasty ones.
They’ve sort of lost their way on that curating. As a result, I’m much less likely to shop there. Especially the clothes—it’s just much less likely that I walk in and end up with an impulse clothing purchase because I see it and am tempted.

+1 they have all the categories but the selection is/was stylish across most categories (doesn't really apply to groceries). AND they were good community members so I felt good about shopping there. They lost that important piece and it's why I don't shop there now.

They are great for back to school, dorm decorating, things for camp, etc. Maybe people are just mad they aren't the target demographic anymore.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Remember when Mizzoni designed clothing for Target?

Good times.

My daughter is pretty excited about the Roller Rabbit/Target collaboration dropping this Saturday.

There used to be something like that multiple times every year back when Target was good.

So? I wasn't interested in any of them as an adult and she is interested in this one. This isn't the sort of thing that would interest me as an adult or want Target to do more of, personally. But my tween loves to shop at Target and see how much she can get for $20 which turns out to be quite a bit. Maybe they are more interested in that segment vs the moms who want the best cotton onesie they can find for the price?

Anonymous wrote:He’s totally right. Walmart and Amazon have all sorts of crap. Target was always successful because (like Costco) they were great at curating for their clients taste. So you could go in and they maybe didn’t have as broad a selection of shower curtains but they were really cute ones. And they dkdnt sell every brand of snacks but they had a bunch of really tasty ones.
They’ve sort of lost their way on that curating. As a result, I’m much less likely to shop there. Especially the clothes—it’s just much less likely that I walk in and end up with an impulse clothing purchase because I see it and am tempted.

+1 they have all the categories but the selection is/was stylish across most categories (doesn't really apply to groceries). AND they were good community members so I felt good about shopping there. They lost that important piece and it's why I don't shop there now.

Reading this thread with interest. Can someone explain what objective changes Target has made in the last 7 years that you say you used to shop there and now you don't? I'm not a super frequent shopper there, but i haven't noticed much change and i'm curious if i missed something.

I’m not one of them because I think Amazon and CVS are always going to be worse, but a lot of people have boycotted Target for dropping their DEI programs after Trump won the election.

Anonymous wrote:Reading this thread with interest. Can someone explain what objective changes Target has made in the last 7 years that you say you used to shop there and now you don't? I'm not a super frequent shopper there, but i haven't noticed much change and i'm curious if i missed something.

Did they actually pivot their business model? Or are these complaints more along the vein of "everything used to be better, and now things suck?"

- on restocking, have they adopted a different business model? Or is that simply the issue post-covid that it's impossible to find workers and/or workers don't want to work for those wages, and stores figured out during covid (when they really couldn't find workers) that life goes on without the workers?

- on quality of clothes going downhill, it seems all clothing companies over the last 30 years have been a race to the bottom on quality to cut costs. In any event, when i moved to the US 25 years ago and first went to a target, the brands then were also much lower quality than mall brands. So maybe this is some nostalgia on your part?

- for people saying they never shop there anymore, is that because they changed their business model? Or is it because we're all 40+ yo women and doing the fun target spree is something more for 20 and 30 somethings, and we've just aged out of the "shopping is fun" demographic? Or maybe it's because covid taught everyone that in store shopping is not fun, so we've all just moved past that? It just feels like everyone i know in my age bracket just isn't going shopping anymore, and we used to love shopping 15 years ago. I used to go to target all the time when my kids were little (15 years ago) because it was something to do, get a high of buying some stuff to offset the doldrums of life with young kids. But i haven't done that in years. I guess i feel like i'm not shopping at target because i'm just over it, not because of a business change.

But curious if there's something more tangible going on that i'm missing.

I think there is some insight here.

I remember wandering the aisles of Target when I first moved here over 20 years ago for my first job as a lawyer. I was 29 and didn't know anyone and didn't know where much was, but I found the Target and loved going there on the weekend and shopping for stuff for my new apt and I distinctly remember the yellow bikini I impulse bought there and loved and wore all summer at my apt pool. There was always something that jumped out at me that I wanted that wasn't on my list, whether it was that yellow bathing suit, or a houseplant, or a hair mask, or whatever. I especially loved the hair/body/cosmetics stuff. I do still shop like this (and almost always come away with a self-care impulse buy), and do so at Target, but nowhere near as often. Maybe a few times a year as opposed to almost every other weekend.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Remember when Mizzoni designed clothing for Target?

Good times.

My daughter is pretty excited about the Roller Rabbit/Target collaboration dropping this Saturday.

There used to be something like that multiple times every year back when Target was good.

I don't use it as an everything store but I sure as hell appreciate that it is one. A few times I year I go there to get non-perishables, some fruits and veggies and dairy (realizing it's not 100% what I want but it's fine), paper towels, toiletries, k cups, batteries, a sports bra, a bathmat, a gift card, a book, a bag of potting soil and a new phone charger and I am glad as hell that I can be one and done and walk out with a latte in hand.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP but I found a longer excerpt:

The company is trying to bring back what’s worked in the past: selling affordable, trendy fashion and furnishings that helped it earn its “Tarzhay” reputation.

Unlike Walmart, which is known for the best prices, or Amazon, which has stood out with convenience, Target wants to create a fun, treasure hunt atmosphere in stores where shoppers come in to find what’s new.

“Target is not an everything store,” said Fiddelke, who took over as Target’s chief executive last month. He said Target would focus on winning “busy families” as its primary customer base.

I don't think the new CEO understands what worked in the past. I liked when I knew where everything was because they didn't move where things were located. An occasional treasure is great to find but people didn't go to shop there because they wanted to find something new. People would go to Target to buy things they needed then as a distraction go down the furniture or clothing aisles looking for things to splurge on.

When I used to buy kids clothes at Target, the basics like Circo were 100% cotton, thick, soft, and had uniform sizing. It was substantially different than buying kids clothes at Walmart. When Target dumped Circo and C9 and brought in Cat and Jack and other brands the difference between Target and Walmart kids clothes disappeared. They started selling kids clothes that had a high polyster mix, the sizing wasn't not uniform, it was rougher, and just looked cheap. Instead of muted colors, there were message shirts and garish colors. I would never buy any of it for any kid. It used to be upper middle class families would buy nicer brands but buy some Circo clothes just as extra play clothes to go dig in the backyard or go to the park. I don't know anyone who buys frequently buys clothes at Target anymore.

And I don't think you understand that "what worked in the past" is not necessarily what works now.

The treasure hunt thing is huge; people go into Target to buy, oh, say, a new white t-shirt and some laundry detergent, and come out $400 later with all kinds of things they didn't know they "needed." That is actually how Target makes such good money. And that business model doesn't necessarily involve having "everything," it involves having a wide selection of things that will = impulse buys. The treasure hunt.

Reading this thread with interest. Can someone explain what objective changes Target has made in the last 7 years that you say you used to shop there and now you don't? I'm not a super frequent shopper there, but i haven't noticed much change and i'm curious if i missed something.

Did they actually pivot their business model? Or are these complaints more along the vein of "everything used to be better, and now things suck?"

- on restocking, have they adopted a different business model? Or is that simply the issue post-covid that it's impossible to find workers and/or workers don't want to work for those wages, and stores figured out during covid (when they really couldn't find workers) that life goes on without the workers?

- on quality of clothes going downhill, it seems all clothing companies over the last 30 years have been a race to the bottom on quality to cut costs. In any event, when i moved to the US 25 years ago and first went to a target, the brands then were also much lower quality than mall brands. So maybe this is some nostalgia on your part?

- for people saying they never shop there anymore, is that because they changed their business model? Or is it because we're all 40+ yo women and doing the fun target spree is something more for 20 and 30 somethings, and we've just aged out of the "shopping is fun" demographic? Or maybe it's because covid taught everyone that in store shopping is not fun, so we've all just moved past that? It just feels like everyone i know in my age bracket just isn't going shopping anymore, and we used to love shopping 15 years ago. I used to go to target all the time when my kids were little (15 years ago) because it was something to do, get a high of buying some stuff to offset the doldrums of life with young kids. But i haven't done that in years. I guess i feel like i'm not shopping at target because i'm just over it, not because of a business change.

But curious if there's something more tangible going on that i'm missing.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I miss the Circo (mentioned by a PP) and Merona clothing brands for nice quality, affordable basics. Nothing like that exists at Target anymore.

The brands at Target are all just Target. The brands are just a game they play with us (and we with them). It's all just Target brand.

Yes, but those brands use to be thick, 100% cotton. Now it's think poly blend or 20% cotton and recycled plastic.

+1 I want to cry! I still have one 100% cotton Merona long sleeve that I wear but can't find any replacements for it. Poly is too hot and too cheap looking! I HATE it.

Same. I used to buy the Merona long sleeve shirts as my basics. Lands End had similar ones this past season, but they're in the process of closing their stores (RIP Rockville) and transitioning to the online catalog.