Target

Full review
The one store I really miss having locally is Target. We have others - Home Depot and Lowes are new, and there has been a Wal-Mart present since before we moved up here. But I used to spend a good deal of time and money in Target back in New York and I miss it here. The goods just seem to be of better quality than what I find in Wal-Mart, the store cleaner, and the staff better. When I get the chance to visit the nearest stores in Dover or Concord, I do, but my shopping at Target has been largely shifted to the online store.

The Target online store has much the same items available as they do in the stores. Pretty much what’s missing is the perishable section. There’s no food, laundry detergent, or household cleaners for sale online. What you do get is clothing, household items, toys, electronics, and media for purchasing.

In addition, there is information, such as the nearest store available in just a few clicks. Gift cards can be purchased on line as well as making changes to gift registries for weddings and new babies. If you’re luckier than I am and have a store local to you, the weekly circular is accessible online.

Making purchases is pretty easy. My most frequent purchases have been of kids clothing. There are sizing charts that help, although the best alternative is to try the clothes on. That’s just not possible when ordering online. I haven’t been off yet as I check what my kids are wearing in terms of size now against what the sizes say and so far it’s worked out. If they are outgrowing a size 10 at home and I see something that’s a large, the sizing charts state that it covers size 12 - 14. The quality of the clothing is the same as that in the stores, which I have always found to be better than the clothing available in Wal-Mart. The selection is probably a bit less than what I've seen in the stores, but it's fine for my needs.

Target has plenty else to choose from, so I can often combine the order and do pretty good. There are nice home accents, and a recent purchased included a mirror for near my front door that had clothing hooks beneath it. This arrived packaged quite well and unbroken.

I can usually find a special that includes free shipping. That is a huge plus and definitely makes purchasing from Target online reasonable over driving more than an hour to the nearest store, especially with the high gas prices.

I have never had to return anything, but the policy is within 90 days as long as it’s in new, unused condition. In addition, all items purchased online can be returned to the store with a printed receipt. If I want to send something from Target online to someone in a different city, they can return it to a store near them. Target doesn’t do exchanges online for defective merchandise. Instead, items are processed as a regular return and then I can submit another order for the item. This can be a pain as it can result in having the credit card charged twice before the return is processed and the funds are credited back to the account.

With a daughter about to head off to college, I’m also starting to check out items for her dorm room. There’s a special section this time of year geared to dorm life, just as once the holidays roll around there are Christmas decorations and more available online as well. The inventory changes constantly, as do the sales, so check back often. I know the summer clothing will give way to fall and winter. It’s not like I can shop there in October and find bathing suits.

If you cruise around the web a lot, you know there are sites out there that list discount codes. Googling “Target coupon codes” yields a lot of results and you can add to your discount this way. In addition, if I shop through Ebates, I get an additional 4% back.

I always prefer shopping at a Target store. When that’s not possible, using the Target online store is a great alternative. There’s the same great selection as well as many offers which keep shipping free. I know I’ll be shopping here online as a regular customer until a store opens near me, and I have the feeling that’s a long way off.



© 2008 Patti Aliventi