So what's the deal with Target? - Page 6

[wonderwahine]

I have to agree, shopping around at "better" places doesnt always = quality products. I have had many expensive quality name things crap out on me faster than my 5 yr old sweater from walmart.

[lanamommyphd07]

Holy moly. I forget sometimes that mdcers can get quite sensitive and take posts so personally. So for you all, my apologies about commenting on the apparent dental hygiene of Target employees.
Honestly, relax! I don't know if it's just the local guys or what, but it's a running joke around here that Target hires the "pretty" people--college students and whatnot. The other guys tend to employ people who don't have mommy and daddy's insurance to ride on.
So again, my explanation for why people get caught up in Target as opposed to/in addition to the other big box stores--
clean, and pretty, and pretty teeth, and pretty clothes, and on some level I think it works, since people want to be pretty and have pretty things.
Whew. Good thing I don't shop there......

[swissgirl]

Originally Posted by PajamaMama

But at what cost to society? Where does all that cheap stuff come from and where does it end up?

I am really shocked by all the pro-target here on a NFL board.

I enjoy Target but I'm not an impulse shopper so I have no trouble sticking to a list and only buying on sale.

But to your other point, about where it all comes from, I currently work for a company that sells some consumer goods at Target and we're always trying to either keep that business or get more ( a slot for the Christmas version of our products, for example.) Let me tell you, presenting to Target is brutal - it's all about the lowest cost. The buyers also want awesome Target-style packaging on top of that and often dictate the smallest details of that, adding to the cost. Unfortunately, due to this type of retail enviroment among most big box stores, our company will shut its US doors in a few months and I and many others will be of work. Our company's manufacturing already moved overseas several years ago. We simply cannot compete against cheap Chinese-made goods that Target, Wal-Mart and other big boxes demand. In fact, we even presented some of those same Chinese goods with our packaging and still can't get the cost low enough to compete.

It's the way it is now in the contracting retail sector. Target is a nice, clean, appealing place to shop but there is a "dark side", so to speak.

[SusanInItaly]

I love Target. Just wanted to let you guys know, LOL. I am excited to get one here on the island.

[Petersmamma]

I like Target. I can stick to a list there, but it's not as much fun!

I am getting ready to student teach, and don't have much money right now. So, it's been nice to slowly build my teaching wardrobe somewhere affordable. It's not the best quality, admittedly, but I can afford it and it looks nice.

Plus, I WOH ft, and I just don't have TIME to shop thrift stores and such. I actually get quite jealous of the SAHM's here who are able to pursue things like thrift store shopping, Craigslist, Freecycle, etc. I would LOVE to be able to do that (I did before having ds) but for right now, it's all I can do to get the floor vacuumed every other week (I try to do it more often, I do, I do! ).

For the pp's who are lamenting that people with disposable income should be making different choices than Target: I tutor kids who come from VERY wealthy families, and their families do a LOT of shopping at WF and other sources that are more "MDC approved". However, they also shop places like Target, mainly because they use tp, their kids drink Coke, etc.

So, from my perspective, I DO see the higher income families shopping at more sustainable places (at least if you go by the size of the diamonds and the make of the vehicle). But you know, if I had oodles of money and tp cost $15/12-pack at WF and cost $6/12 pack at Walmart, I would probably buy my tp at Walmart/Target. YMMV.

[cloudswinger]

Originally Posted by bigeyes

And, even if you go shopping around, you still run into a lack of quality. I went to a high end store out of desperation the other day looking for a top to match a skirt my dd received as a gift. The only thing we found that fit her and matched had no hem! It was just cut off and left unhemmed with the raw edge. Granted, it was a knit fabric that wasn't going to ravel, but for $30 marked down I expect better. We're still looking for the particular style she wants in her size.: Even with choices and a car, I didn't find what I was looking for in an entire day of shopping.

The no hem thing is a mark of the current style, not of lack of finishing. There's a lot of juniors stuff that are left raw, and apparently inside out even, with the seams on the outside.

But quality is not really a desired feature for a lot of people. They don't want to keep a shirt forever, just this season, if even that long. I've heard of people that don't even wash their clothes, just buy new ones once the outfit is outworn.

[bigeyes]

Originally Posted by cloudswinger

The no hem thing is a mark of the current style, not of lack of finishing. There's a lot of juniors stuff that are left raw, and apparently inside out even, with the seams on the outside.

But quality is not really a desired feature for a lot of people. They don't want to keep a shirt forever, just this season, if even that long. I've heard of people that don't even wash their clothes, just buy new ones once the outfit is outworn.

As someone who learned to sew a gazillion years ago, I will never be able to see that as style. It wasn't even cut straight, but it obviously wasn't supposed to be asymmetrical either, so it was just sloppy workmanship. It was almost straight, and left unhemmed so it was really obvious that it had not been cut properly. All the other seams and the hems of the sleeves were finished. It just looked odd. If they had left the sleeve hems unfinished and cut everything the same it would have at least looked intentional.

As to the second comment, EW. I don't care how many people do something, that doesn't make it OK.

[mrsalf97]

I love Target's items, but the customer service is terrible! And I'm not even going to get started on the return policy here.

[RosemaryS-F]

I used to have the shock at the checkout problem at Target, but then I came up with a solution that works for me. Before I checkout, I look at what's in my cart, get out my calculator on my phone and add stuff up. I usually end up putting close to everything back. I put things back when I visualize bring the thing into the house, and where I will put it, and if I have something similar, and if it is replacing something, what will I do with the thing it is replacing?

As for MIC, I have had some good luck with Target and things not being made there. I have found a surprising number of things made in USA or europe. But it's true, stuff is mostly MIC. That's another of the factors of my putting stuff back on the shelf.

[ediesmom]

Originally Posted by lanamommyphd07

It's clean, and the people working there typically have all their teeth.

Originally Posted by my2girlz

Amen!!!

eeewwww!!!!

Originally Posted by boysrus

What an incredibly classist comment.
On soooo many levels!!

Originally Posted by miss_sonja

Do they provide health insurance to their employees? That could make a difference.

Originally Posted by ZippyGirl

That made me cringe.

Originally Posted by A&A

So people with dental issues shouldn't have decent jobs? :

Originally Posted by shayinme

Lack of dental care speaks to larger social issues, like the fact that so many low wage jobs offer either no benefits or they offer them but they are not affordable to many of the workers. More and more middle class folks also do not have access to dental care via jobs but generally are in a better position to scrape up the resources to see a dentist. Its not fair to judge folks by their teeth.

As for Target, yeah on the surface it looks better than Wal-Mart but IMO they really are not that far apart both strive to seperate you from your money buying things you often don't need. It just looks better.

Shay

Originally Posted by CorasMama

Yep. I just had 3 extractions, myself. The combination of genetically weak enamel and several years of soul-crushing, could-barely-care-for-one-person-so-I-took-care-of-DD-not-me depression has done in my teeth. Sorry I couldn't swing the thousands of dollars for implants to make YOU all more comfortable. Luckily, they were back teeth, but even if they were front teeth, I don't know that they'd be getting replaced immediately. And sorry I'm going to have to wait til my $1500 yearly maximum insurance coverage resets in 11 months to get the visible cavities in my front teeth filled.

Originally Posted by Black Orchid

people need to leave the whole teeth thing go. really. just bow out and realize that you need to do some personal work on your prejudices.

my mom grew up in utter poverty (she wore out the soles of her shoes and had to go without in the WINTER) and her teeth are just plain beautiful looking. my brother grew up in middle-class insured privledge and his teeth are awful. he has no enamel and has a number of pulls to look forward, too.

using teeth as a judge of "class" or whatever you want to call it is so completely superficial and hurtful to everyone. just as making judgements based on someone's car, clothing, hair style, etc, etc, etc.

mean. mean. mean.

Originally Posted by Krystal323

I may be missing your meaning, but I have never set foot in a Pottery Barn because they are Ridiculously Expensive. I can barely afford Target. Really.

YEAH to all that and more. snark, snark. :

Sigh. I'm so sorry that I am too broke to shop at all-organic fair-trade curbside markets in the hip downtown area of my progressive city. Oh wait.... :




Yes.

sometimes it frustrates me when I realize that not only am I in the minority on these boards because of our income level, but that many of the lovely, understanding, with-it folks here just Don't Understand poverty Sorry.

FWIW I love Target, I love that I can find eclectic-style home decor there that I can actually dream of affording someday soon. I will totally buy Target stuff when I move and can afford more than just baby t-shirts on their clearance rack

Originally Posted by justmama

I understand you and I understand poverty. I LOVE to walk around Target and I too dream of that lovely eclectic style to furnish my dream house. For now I'll settle for pictures of my kids in dollar store frames and hand sewn pillows and handknit blankets on my couch. And the worst part, I have been shopping at evil-mart because my work gave me a baby gift of a $250 gift card!

please forgive me for bringing the teeth thing back up......just read this for the first time.

so very very sad that this statement was EVER made.

i DO enjoy my shopping experiences at target. i am VERY careful about my purchases no matter where i shop. its usually much cleaner than walmart....and yes, the lighting is better. i steer clear of the plastic toys...except the nintendo games. other than those mic is a no-no

i don't think that target sells enough that i would buy for me to be actually able to go over budget there....they don't have a crafts section,,,,and i don't eat anything but tortilla chips and condiments from their food selection.

and honestly, if i'm going to foot the bill for organic cottons, i'm going to buy them somewhere other than target.... they lose something in the translation IMO.

i am one of those moms who is lucky enough to be able to shop second hand, freecycle, and craigs list....and i do it very well. and i don't really have a need for extras

i DO lust after the books, cds, and movies...but i go to the library often enough to quench that thirst enough to just browse that section.

wow, what an amazing thread. kinda squirmy

[Usually Curious]

I went to target for hangers today and walked out w/just*hangers. Woohoo. And I had all four of my sons w/me. The 16yo and 11yo tried to do me in but I wouldn't let them.

[SNRPMom]

Removed

[Black Orchid]

Originally Posted by SNRPMom

Can a newbie pop in with a question?

Have read "most" of the posts and I'm a tad confused. Maybe this is a regional thing but Target in my area is WAY over priced and we have several other options for that type of shopping. We go to ours maybe twice a year?

Is it an optimal place for most folks to shop in the East?

That being asked, for us our solution to over spending at Target is to not go.

(Dental hygeine not withstanding )

I find Target overpriced as well... but they are cheaper than the mall, so...

My children turn into gimmes when we go there. I used to be there 2-3x/ week. I am proud to say that for the entire month of Feb I went 1 day a week or less and only bought what was on my list. Kitty-litter, method cleaning items, dish detergent... I cannot stand how my children act when I go there. They typically ask/beg for nothing and when we are there it is like some consumer switch goes off in their little heads and they start yelling about Mickey and Hannah, etc, etc, etc...

[cloudswinger]

Originally Posted by Black Orchid

I find Target overpriced as well... but they are cheaper than the mall, so...

My children turn into gimmes when we go there. I used to be there 2-3x/ week. I am proud to say that for the entire month of Feb I went 1 day a week or less and only bought what was on my list. Kitty-litter, method cleaning items, dish detergent... I cannot stand how my children act when I go there. They typically ask/beg for nothing and when we are there it is like some consumer switch goes off in their little heads and they start yelling about Mickey and Hannah, etc, etc, etc...

I go there for clearance shopping maybe once or twice a month, more often if there's something I want on clearance. Out of season stuff like fire logs(in Florida) were 75% off 2 weeks ago. Usually they mark down things on Wed evening, so we go Thursday sometime. They start out at 15%, then 30, then 50 then 75, then sometimes 90% depending. There's all sorts of things on clearance, including food and other staples. We've found dog food, wine boxes, and pomegranate juice on clearance. A lot of times it's the organic stuff, since it obviously doesn't sell well enough. But I also suspect that people buy stuff at 75% off and resell on ebay. I tried clearance shopping at walmart, but it's so disorganized and not such a great deal to quality ratio. And the only other reason to shop there for me was eliminated when they dropped their fabric section.

I have a 3yo, and she asks for things while we're there, but they never go home. I just let her push whatever buttons on the toy, and soon enough she gets sick of it.

[Petersmamma]

Originally Posted by SNRPMom

Can a newbie pop in with a question?

Have read "most" of the posts and I'm a tad confused. Maybe this is a regional thing but Target in my area is WAY over priced and we have several other options for that type of shopping. We go to ours maybe twice a year?

Is it an optimal place for most folks to shop in the East?

That being asked, for us our solution to over spending at Target is to not go.

(Dental hygeine not withstanding )

When I lived in NY, we didn't have a Target near us (I think we had to drive to Buffalo to go to Target, so it didn't really happen, as Buffalo was about 3 hrs away from us).

But when I lived in WA state, Targets were everywhere, and in CA, too. Now that I am in the suburbs of TX, Walmarts tend to dominate, but like a PP said, Target often comes in after Walmart does (never thought of that....but I know there is a Target being built near us and a WM has been there for a while now. I'm really excited, 'cause that WM SUCKS. Dirty, unorganized, just icky).

So, it's possible that Target doesn't have as big a presence in the NE. I dunno....