Tell me about Target?

[Froufie]

I live in Canada (ottawa, ontario to be exact) and most recently Target has bought over some of our previous Zellers' stores - a few have opened up this week and a few more will open at the end of the year and next year.

 

I have heard lots of talk about Target and wondering what to expect? I believe it to be a lower end type of store, with good prices? - sounds like they will be carrying EVERYTHING from clothes to pharmacy items to household goods etc.

 

They are also advertising their own 'credt card' with 5% off on all purchases? worth it?

 

But most importantly do 'fashionistas' shop there? LOL :D:D

 

Any info greatly appreciated :)

[Gunner22aa]

If you read the Financial Post you will see that they have been a huge flop here in Canada. Sales are less than half of what was predicted. Was in one for the first time here in Edmonton just last week. Hugely disappointing. The shelves were half bare and items in the store were poorly organized. For example utensels were in one asile and culterly was three asiles away with bedding in between. Won't be going back anytime soon.

[luvscruising2007]

Target in my opinion is a step above Wal-Mart, but very similar. Yes, they do have clothes, housewares, food basically the same as many of the non-Super Center Walmarts. They also have a website.

I don't have their credit card. That't the last thing I need.

[vache]

I like Target and depending on your style you can find some clothing and accessory items there. I visit Target mostly for house hold items including grocery because it's nicer in my opinion than Wal-Mart. I do have the credit card but I had it years before they gave you the 5% off. I try not to carry a balance so that I can really see the 5%. Overall is a good store like others have referenced it's a step above Wal-Mart but in the same family.

[SixOneTwo]

Check this website out: http://abullseyeview.com/ That ought to answer your questions about fashion.

 

I have the Target DEBIT card and receive the 5%, which I do think is a good deal, especially because I buy groceries and hate dealing with manufacturer's coupons. I'm only assuming that the debit card program will be available in Canada. Definitely ask.

 

Was Zeller's a place "fashionistas" shopped?

[Nebr.cruiser]

I like our Target and agree that it is a 'step up' from Walmart. However, I think their clothing lines have really gone down hill--cheaper quality and cuts; also, it's very youth oriented.

 

Our store did a massive remodeling a couple of years ago, and in my opinion the organization is worse than it was; also the aisles in the clothing section are difficult to get through. I suppose market research must have shown that the new organization works better for sales, but it sure isn't intuitive for customers.

 

I do buy some clothing items there, but mostly just tees and other clothing to wear around home, nothing 'nice'.

[Hoyaheel]

I like our Target and agree that it is a 'step up' from Walmart. However, I think their clothing lines have really gone down hill--cheaper quality and cuts; also, it's very youth oriented.

 

Our store did a massive remodeling a couple of years ago, and in my opinion the organization is worse than it was; also the aisles in the clothing section are difficult to get through. I suppose market research must have shown that the new organization works better for sales, but it sure isn't intuitive for customers.

 

I do buy some clothing items there, but mostly just tees and other clothing to wear around home, nothing 'nice'.

 

Ditto on all you say about clothing. They used to have brands & styles that would work more on those of us with more conservative tastes. These days - I buy cotton t-shirts when they're $5 and I like the cotton cardigans (not great quality, but for $20, I'm not expecting it to last forever) They were a nice place to shop for a few things when I was losing weight and couldn't get what I wanted at a thrift store. I LOVE Gilligan & O'Malley pajamas - nice soft microfiber. But otherwise it's skinny skinny skinny and forget it if you need to dress a large chest. On the other hand, it's one of the few places that offers cute trendy stuff in plus sizes, so....

 

I also like some of their seasonal items (sales on seasonal items are great if whatever you want is left at the end of the short season) and some of their housewares are cute too.

 

(FYI - I really liked a lot of the Kamali knits that Walmart carried a few years - online only - had some cute skirts & a dress for cheap, but they don't have those any more:cool:)

[iheartbda]

As far as clothing.......good for kids.

[sail7seas]

I have three Target stores within 15 - 20 minutes from me in three directions but I don't go to any of those stores more than two or three times a year. It is not a place I enjoy shopping.

 

JMO ...

[Hoyaheel]

Forgot to mention my favorite thing at Target - their house box wine! Nicely priced and I enjoy many of the varieties. But not all stores will have wine- depends on local liquor laws.

 

I like quite a few of the beauty brands they carry as well.

[iheartmarshall]

I love Target and shop there regularly. PP hit it on the head that it's a couple of steps above Walmart but not as nice as department stores. I have a bit of time on my hands right now so here's a breakdown as I see it:

 

Clothes

They're affordable and they often have special designer collections throughout the year that are specifically branded for Target. It's a great place to go for basic pieces that won't break your bank ($10 tees and tanks) and it's also a good place to get trendy items. I actually own quite a few pieces from Target as it's convenient to me and I like their styles but I do agree that sometimes the quality isn't the best. Cardigans I purchased 5 years ago from there are definitely not the same ones you buy today. But, pieces are affordable, wearable, and they carry a lot of styles. Their plus-size section sucks though; too trendy and too young, plus all the pants are overly stretchy with weird washes. I'm borderline plus (1X in plus or XL/XXL in Misses) and I wouldn't recommend it as a place to shop for plus-size gals.

 

Home Decor

I looooove Target's home decor section! They've been getting new lines like Threshold that offer modern, quirky, and fresh items. The prices are so-so; sometimes things are a steal and others they're a bit overpriced in my opinion. But, they definitely have a variety of fun options and is nearly a one-stop-shop for decorating.

 

Health / Beauty

This section is fairly standard; my Target has recently been redesigned to look more like a specialized cosmetics store (think Ulta) and I don't really like it, but I don't hate it either. it's just really... bright. I do like that they have a few beauty brands that are just above typical drugstore options, like Pixi and Sonia Kashuk.

 

Grocery

Not sure if new Targets will have groceries, but ours just got a face lift with an actual grocery section in it. I really like the variety it offers and I love their store brand Archer Farms -- I actually prefer Archer Farms to name brand items most of the time. Ours has produce and organic sections which also make it easy to pick up a few things while shopping.

 

Electronics, Baby, Children, and Automotive

I rarely purchase items from these sections so I honestly don't know. However, the few times I have purchased stuff for a friend's baby shower, I am always overwhelmed at what cute options the baby section has!

 

Overall, I love Target. It's convenient to me, not nearly as crowded as Walmart, and their items fit my personality. I am also generally a budget shopper (there are a few items that I will splurge on) so it fits my lifestyle which is a huge biggie. I do not have the credit card so I can't comment on that, but if you find yourself shopping there a lot and are responsible with credit, I say go for it. I am just not a credit card person so I never get them lol

[Scrapnana]

The dollar things as you go in the store are good for stocking stuffers at Christmas. Other than that, I am underwhelmed with Target.

[Tweedy]

I live in Canada (ottawa, ontario to be exact) and most recently Target has bought over some of our previous Zellers' stores - a few have opened up this week and a few more will open at the end of the year and next year.

 

I have heard lots of talk about Target and wondering what to expect? I believe it to be a lower end type of store, with good prices? - sounds like they will be carrying EVERYTHING from clothes to pharmacy items to household goods etc.

 

They are also advertising their own 'credt card' with 5% off on all purchases? worth it?

 

But most importantly do 'fashionistas' shop there? LOL :D:D

 

Any info greatly appreciated :)

 

 

Very disappointed with the Targets out west. I was expecting them to be like the Targets in the US but they are just Zellers behind the bullseye. Of course, this is just my opinion and someone else could have a completely different take.

[cynthe66]

I remember Zellers. Target is much like them in my opinion.

[CELTICGIRLCRUISER]

Super Target is OK for groceries, home goods etc., plus the Disney sections around here are quite good for obvious reasons, but I wouldn't buy clothes in there.

 

I find them mostly cheaper quality and en par with WalMart where I wouldn't buy clothing from either.

 

I also think they are also quite expensive for many items, that you can get cheaper elsewhere.

[luvscruising2007]

I think iheartmarshall did a very objective evaluation of Target. I do like our Target and have bought a couple of T's. I agree that the plus size section is terrible and it is difficult to get through the aisles.

[calliopecruiser]

I think they're like Zellers but with better maintenance (i.e. brighter, cleaner) and better staff. They do have problems with stocking and they'll hopefully have that fixed once they've opened all their stores and not just a few - these rolling-open schemes often have the same problem.

 

I really like them as a good general department store for basics.....not for clothing or shoes, but good for drugstore stuff (shampoo, OTC medication, etc), stationery stuff, household supplies (paper products, cleaning products, kitchen gadgets etc), and other basics. I bought a plain-Jane small sized slow cooker there because other stores were only selling fancy ones with electronic bells and whistles.

 

I'm very happy to see them replace Zellers, but I wouldn't look for clothing there, other than perhaps underwear or socks.

[royalcruz]

I buy solid colored tshirts and fitness wear there. The clothing is generally overpriced for the low quality. I have bought a few jackets, boots, belts, and swim tops on clearance. The stores are neat and items are well-presented. Outside of the clothing, most of the sales don't seem that great, like 10-20% off.

[Ehpride]

I like Target. I don't typically pay full price for any clothing though. If you can wait for things to go on sale/clearance, you can usually get a pretty good price.

 

I find that it's a good place if I need a little bit of everything. Plus, I like it better than Walmart.

[ChrisRoo]

I really like Target. It is much nicer than the Walmart. We have a Target that is about 2 miles from my house and it has a Walmart across the street. I will go to Target and if they do not have what we need and I HAVE to go to Walmart I will drive 10 miles to the one out of town because I cannot force myself to go into the closer one. We do not have a Target credit card but we do have the Target debit card that costs me nothing but does save me the 5% on everything. I like the well lit stores and the wide isles and the non shocking shopping cart.

[5326jan]

I completely agree with Hoyaheel about the box wine! Sauv Blanc is Yummy! I did a blind tasting with the box wine and Kim Crawford and people liked the box wine better. I wasn't surprised, but they were! The small box is perfect for packing and is equivalent to 2 bottles.

 

I go to Target at least once every other week. Paper towels, tp, cleaning products, etc are the same price as our Walmart, but the stores tend to be cleaner. I don't buy clothes there, but get pjs, warm up suits, grandkids clothes. I also get some groceries there....cereal, crackers, and can goods at Target because they are so much cheaper than the grocery store. I frequently buy meat and produce at the grocery store and everything else at Target.

[Lois R]

Hi, well, looks like it depends on where you live. Some gals like shopping

there and some gals don't. Isn't this like everything else? Some gals

like xxxx brand, others like yyyy brand.

 

I live near a Target and in this particular case? I love it. It was built

within a brand new mall (well, now it is 8 years old) but the entire

area is really nice:D...everything from a Seasons 52 to 5guys.....

This mall is one of those that everything is outside (not an enclosed

mall)....Target is there and so is Pier 1.....DSW is there and so is

Dillards. Sephora is there and so is Bare Essentuals.......

Capital 1 Grille is there and so Mitchell's and CPK....love their salads!

 

Oh....back to Target. I don't usually buy clothing there but I do

buy lots of other items there. This is a Supertarget and personally,

I think the prices are good....cleaning supplies, makeup, paper

products, etc.....oh yes, food too;).....I like this store. So there!:D

[Lois R]

I completely agree with Hoyaheel about the box wine! Sauv Blanc is Yummy! I did a blind tasting with the box wine and Kim Crawford and people liked the box wine better. I wasn't surprised, but they were! The small box is perfect for packing and is equivalent to 2 bottles.

 

I go to Target at least once every other week. Paper towels, tp, cleaning products, etc are the same price as our Walmart, but the stores tend to be cleaner. I don't buy clothes there, but get pjs, warm up suits, grandkids clothes. I also get some groceries there....cereal, crackers, and can goods at Target because they are so much cheaper than the grocery store. I frequently buy meat and produce at the grocery store and everything else at Target.

 

Hi Jan, I missed your post when I just posted LOL...I think we both

like Target;)...Oh I also agree, In my experience, the stores

are kept cleaner than Walmart.

[Froufie]

thanks so much for everyone's input and experiences - I am anxious to see what the one that will be opening near my home (about 5 mins away) will be like - I somehow doubt it will have food and it will DEFINITELY not have any wine (this is regulated here in Ontario and not yet sold in grocery stores).... Sounds like it is worth a visit - we do have a few newer walmarts in the area and the prices are good - so I will see what the prices and merchandise is like at Target.

 

May be some reasonable 'bargains' to be had and of course household items worth stocking up on. The one in another neighborhood opened last week - and it is a rainy, gloomy weekend here so perhaps I shall take a drive over tomorrow and check it out as it is only about 15 mins away! :)

[Laurie S.]

I love Target, and I hate Wal-Mart.