Recognizing that it needed to work on its e-commerce business, Walmart went on an acquisition spree, buying Jet.com and other existing businesses to build its online operations up very quickly. Target, it turns out, had the same opportunities to acquire its way into more robust online operations, but instead is sticking to basics and building its own online operations up. [More]
off target
Head Of Target’s Grocery Business Steps Down Amid Lackluster Results
By 11.3.16
The Target executive tasked with turning around the retailer’s so-so grocery sales is stepping down after less than two years on the job. [More]
Customers: CVS Takeover Erased Everything Good About Target Pharmacies
By 8.23.16
One of the reasons that Target gave for its poor performance during a recent earnings call was that stores may have lost some foot traffic because of “some disruptions” when the discount store sold its pharmacy business to CVS. We wondered what that meant, and asked if readers had experienced those “disruptions.” They had, but the bigger problem is something that Target’s executives may not have realized: people filled prescriptions there because they liked things that Target did differently. [More]
Target Shoppers Aren’t ‘Cautious,’ They’re Shopping At Walmart
By 8.19.16
This week, both Target and Walmart released their quarterly financial results. Based on the results and executives’ comments on those reults, it’s almost like they’re from two different quarters or years entirely, or at least not from two discount stores that are generally close competitors. Maybe it’s not that shoppers are clutching their wallets or spending on home renovations instead of everyday home goods, a Target speculated. Maybe Target’s shoppers are just heading to Walmart more often. [More]
Target Sales Are Down Because Customers Are Fixing Up Their Homes Instead
By 8.17.16
Target’s first comparable stores sales decrease in two years is partly due to the retailer’s problems with actually selling groceries, but the drop also reflects problems with the national retail landscape as a whole. Target expected sales to increase slightly, but instead, Americans are apparently paying for experiences rather than stuff, heading to buy clothes at off-price stores, and buying supplies to remodel our homes. [More]
Former Deputy Charged In Shoplifting Incidents That Got Target Worker Fired
By 7.15.14
Yesterday we told you about the Target worker in Virginia who was fired after he reported an alleged shoplifter believed to be a law enforcement officer. Today comes the news that a former sheriff’s deputy has been arrested and charged, while the Target worker remains unemployed. [More]
Is Target Shaving Workers’ Hours So It Doesn’t Have To Insure Them?
By 1.23.14
Earlier this week, Target announced that it would no longer offer health insurance to part-time employees (those who work fewer than 32 hours per week), while at the same time claiming that it would not be trimming employees’ schedules so that they no longer qualify as full-time workers. However, some Target employees tell Consumerist that company execs aren’t telling the truth. [More]
Target Zaps Itself With Shrink Ray To Create Teensy TargetExpress
By 1.17.14
A decade ago, the trend in big retail stores like Target was to get larger and larger, with mega-sized SuperTargets popping up around the country. Then the country’s over-mortgaged house of cards collapsed and smaller was all the rage, resulting in CityTarget stores in 2012. But that’s apparently not small enough, with the retailer set to go even smaller with new TargetExpress stores. [More]
Target Recalls Frog Masks That Could Suffocate Kids
By 10.24.11
Some early bird parents who indulged their kids’ wishes to dress up as frogs for Halloween will have to re-do their costume shopping. Target recalled 3,400 products called Children’s Frog Masks due to a potential suffocation hazard. [More]
Report: Target.com Is A Glitchy Mess
By 10.6.11
After a decade under the Amazon.com roof, Target finally took over its own e-commerce site in late August. And while the retailer has made headlines ever since, they haven’t exactly been good news for Target. [More]
Target Unprepared For Fashionista Barrage, Suffers Site Crash
By 9.14.11
In its efforts to position itself on the high end of the discount store spectrum, Target secured a limited-edition line from a beloved Italian design company. Missoni for Target drew such heavy demand Tuesday that Target.com crashed, redirecting users to a screen that read “Woof! We are suddenly extremely popular. There is no need to refresh your browser. Please stay here and we’ll get you in as soon as we can! Thank you and our apologies for the inconvenience.” [More]
Target Yanks Too-Good-To-Be-True PS3 Offer After I Try To Buy
By 1.24.11
Julie’s eyes probably bugged when she spotted the way-too-cheap PS3 deal she captured in the accompanying screenshot. She placed an order and checked out with a $50.02 charge after tax and shipping were added, but received a cancellation email the next day. [More]
Target Sold Returned Product With Free Bonus: Someone's Address
By 12.14.10
Dana bought a fake Christmas tree at Target and realized a UPS label bearing another woman’s address was still on the box. [More]
Target Charges Me Restocking Fee On Returned Netbook, Resells It Before It Hits Shelves
By 11.23.10
Many consumers believe restocking fees on returns, which can be 15 percent of the purchase price or more, are a con run by retailers to discourage people from lugging their unwanted stuff back into the store. But theoretically the fees are at least somewhat merited, given the fact that the store may have to sell the item at an open-box discount and spend the manpower to ready the item for resale. [More]
Target Puts iPad On Sale By Adding 99 Cents To Price
By 10.7.10
It’s tough to get too angry at Target for attempting to skim a buck off the top of iPad purchases, but to call the minimally-inflated price a “sale” crosses the line of decency. [More]
Woman Says Target Shortchanges Customers On Coupons
By 8.27.10
Minneapolis CBS affiliate WCCO interviews a woman who accuses Target of systematically screwing customers out of hard-clipped savings by reducing the value of their coupons. [More]
Target Has The Right Sticker But The Wrong Ice Cream
By 7.14.10
Ben & Jerry’s is offering some Target-exclusive ice cream flavors — Berry Voluntary and Brownie Chew Gooder — that charitable volunteers can purchase for free with special coupons. [More]
Do Not Rely On Target To Keep Track Of Your Wedding Gift Thank You Note To-Do List
By 7.13.10
Lauren writes in with a cautionary tale about relying on your gift registry to help you keep tabs of all the people you need to send thank-you notes for wedding gifts. She was married about a year ago and had finally gotten around to sending out her belated thank-yous when she discovered the registry info was wiped clean from Target’s system. [More]
