Kelly Seeks

Marketing Gold or Insanity?

Target Shopping Experience

It’s been a long ass week. Let’s be honest, it’s been a long ass year. This has been the worst year of my life luck wise. I could wear a crown of four leaf clovers on my head and I would still manage to break mirrors and walk under ladders. But I’m not here to talk about that. I’m writing to talk about something way more important and life changing….Target. Yup. You all know who I’m talking about. There are planner stickers even made to denote the glorious occasions when we need to go. It’s similar to the thrill kids get when going to the toy store. Except, mama’s toy store usually come with coffee.

Husband and I consider Target our “$100 store”. The name pretty much says it all. It’s the one store we can’t get out of without spending over $100. Yes, I know that’s probably sad to some of you, but to others you’re probably praising our resilience to purchasing more.

Recently in the news we have read about availability of Caroline’s Cart shopping carts, wine boutique’s and now being able to order Dollar Spot items in bulk (didn’t know that yet?). These are all great marketing and PR moves to draw in more customers and profit (since their 2016 revenue was a little “soft”).

However, recently I think they have lost their freaking minds. Did they go too far with this new stunt? Or is it pure marketing gold? Who the hell knows. All I know, is my mind is a mess and I don’t think drinking any amount of wine while strolling the isles will make me figure it out.

What am I talking about? Well it isn’t about the freakin wine. But come to think of it is pretty smart to offer that along with bulk buy in Dollar Spot items. It’s like suckin on a slushlie while plugging a roll of quarters into a candy machine. However, it is about the overall physical layout. Eventually, target will be changing the look of every box store they own for a more personalized shopping experience (said in snooty voice). In other words, they are trying to separate themselves from the other retail giants by the distance of the earth to the moon.

So what am I whining about? About a month ago I walked into Target and immediately stopped. It wasn’t the new Dollar Spot items or no waiting in the Starbucks line, it was Target itself. It was changed. I loved the old layout. I could vacation in the Dollar Spot isles and take a leisure walk to purses. Husband would whisk the kids away in the opposite direction to toys and I would get a brief mini staycay. Target felt like visiting your hometown after being away for a while. You knew all the ins and outs.

Where there once was handbags, jewelry, wallets and accessories is now… clothes and some purses and some bald mannequins. I feel lost. Wrap me up in a warm blanket and someone rock me please. Not only is the initial accessory area changed, most of the clothes and part of the home goods area has been rearranged too. Take a look at the layout of your Target the next time you venture in. Has it changed?

Here is where the marketing gold vs insane decision comes in. I think the biggest issues I have with the new Target stores beside a unfamiliar look is the fact I can’t find crap.

Before, all the purses where in one place. Now, I’m wandering the freakin store for hours looking for all the purses they are strategically placing in all their new staging areas. They aren’t all in one central location. Here is where the confusion comes in- upon wandering hours looking for what used to be upfront and convenient, I’m now lost in Targetland. But ooo, what do I see on my search? A red pair of shoes I’ve been wanting. Oh, and a striped fall scarf. And before I know it I haven’t found the purse I’m looking for, but have a cart full of items I didn’t intend to buy (that’s on top of the normal impulse items). So now Target is turning into our $200 store. And all because they decided to rearrange.

So enjoy your adventure next time you find your Target store is rearranged. Wear sensible shoes, because you may not be to find where they are when you get there. Grab a cup of coffee or if your lucky enough to have a Target that lets you drink, grab a glass and one of those really tall flags on a pole so you can be located again.