They’re NOT choosing our uninspiring merchandising & they’re NOT choosing our prohibitively expensive prices. We 👏 aren’t 👏 competitive 👏.
Just once I’d like to see an earnings call that goes “We missed the mark.” Instead of blaming our performance on external factors.
Walmart is beating us on price AND making better products than they used to. You can get furniture at Walmart for a reasonable price, I have a patio set and large bedroom chair for $500-600 TOTAL. The Christmas tree I bought last year is double the price lol It’s harder to buy clothing or shoes in store. Product is locked up and expensive. Target lost the preference during the boycott and now there is no reason to choose Target over Walmart. With assortment, price or ethics. If they’re the same I should just save money and buy everything at one store.
@OP TGT's aim has been to be on par with Walmart price-wise but they just can't compete. For as long as I've been working there (full disclosure: I don't understand the business-side well; so my opinion is just that); why keep trying to beat Walmart; why not just elevate your quality/quality-control/material-choices so that Guests notice the difference and are willing to spend more?
Anecdotal here: I don't go to Walmart for home decor or kitchenware. I go there for caulk or masking tape or cheap socks. BUT I have ALWAYS gone to TGT for beautiful home decor and items to furnish my home/kitchen spaces; NEVER to Walmart. I go to TGT because I am looking for items that would normally be found at C&B, Pottery Barn BUT out of my reach price-wise.
But since working there (PDD), in an effort to stay affordable, we paint items gold, then market them as "brass-finish", we cheapen materials to stay under costs (then are shocked when Guests say that they rust), we have items shatter in the microwave because we don't want to use high-quality glass; and then use faux wood everywhere we can: I can go on and on. Threshold/H&H items for the most part are aesthetically pleasing but so cheap-looking that I personally wouldn't want to buy them for myself anymore. I want items that will last a lot longer than a year; and am willing to then save up, and spend at C+B or Pottery Barn in an effort to get that; instead of replacing said items every year.
One last thing: who in he-l is buying seasonal throw pillows, or seasonal dinnerware sets? We keep pushing out a bunch of seasonal stuff that nobody in this economy is willing to buy. Stick to essential core items!!!
The problem is that Target doesn’t win shoppers in most categories. I’m in supply chain so I can’t really speak for the company in a lot of store related things, but for me, grocery is a “no” because no deli. I wouldn’t be caught dead in their clothing, and I only would sparingly buy basics for my child there (jeans and active wear, underwear, socks) but not worth seeking out for a shopping trip. Convenience isn’t a win with out of stocks messing up any delivery experience. I think an in store toy shopping trip is actually the only reason I’ve been to a store this year. I wonder who our guest we are going after actually is and what we think will make them want to shop Target. Quality and convenience are not there for me, and I’m not a big price checker, but I assume it’s nothing that’s a major draw.
The Guest are not "choiceful" because the stores are dumps, not stocked and staffed by Target associates who DGAF. I was in the Target in Frisco. TX recently. I was at another store and thought I would just run in and get a new case for my iphone. I went to the electronics section and wanted to ask where the cases were located. I found a Target employee, who was leaning and slouching against a wall, half asleep or hungover or strung out, and I asked and their first response was literally "ummm.....ahhhh....I'm so out of it today", then they pointed and said "ummmm...I think they are in one of those aisles that way...I'm just so out of it"....so I went and looked, found where they were supposed to be and the shelves were all empty, it looked like a grocery store in Venezuela or Russia. What a great experience for Target and their guests.
It is sort of funny and pathetic to realize one loser makes multiple accounts here to boost the sort of stuff 14 year old boys say in the locker room.
Enjoying that late October buyout?
I like using the women's restrooms because they are cleaner than the Men's restroom and I can pickup some Tamp-ns for my wife while I am there
@a3 you are 100% correct. The employees in Minneapolis are responsible for this.
Target missed the mark by selling perverted pride themed merchandise and encouraging dirty GLBT lifestyles in their stores. Yucky!!!