Do You Shop at Target? (Vent)

Before you get too upset, I noticed it too, so I asked my cousin about it, who is a manager there. She said that when the put the new "Now" price tag up, which really is a discounted price, they replace the old tag below it at the same time. The reason why is that they only leave the "Now" special tags up for a short period of time, usually a week to two weeks, so when they have overnight ppl take them down, they just pull the "Now" tag, and leave the updated price tag below. It makes their system easier.
Hope that helps. :)

Ditto to 2txtots. The "now" price or the price cut price tag is an *advertisement* of the new price. After a while, if the price remains at that "now" price, all they have to do is remove the extra tag.

Ummmm I use to work at Target (and Kmart and Pamida both which did this) and what we did was we were required to put on new shelf tags as soon as the price changed, and then we would put a tag on top of it showing what the old price was (before the price change) and the new price so people wouldn't be pulling the new temporary tags off to see what the actual price is. It is not a trick. Do you know how much work goes into price changes.

I shop by price and not how the price is presented. I mean look at Kohls, they put a regular price of 40 with 25% off all the time, great deal right, always on sale. Except at Macy's the regular price is 30 for the exact same clothing item. So 25% off at Macy's is cheaper than the 10% on top of the "sale" price at Kohls.

So I guess I am saying know your prices and this won't bother you at all. :)

It is annoying! Ya know what else they do (that they have done for YEARS) is sometimes they *ooops* forgot to put the sale price in the computer, so if you don't check you would not be aware that you didn't get the sale price on your item and they always say 'Oops, must not have got scanned into the system yet'!

This bugs my husband something FIERCE! A few years back he made us go back to the store 4 days in a row just to prove a point because they had failed to put the sale price for a 12 pk of Pepsi in the computer...arg! On the fourth day he brought in all the receipts and made a big stink about how they had *oops forgot* for all these days in a row, even though he had brought it to their attention every time! SO embarrassing! But he was right!

~I LOVE LOVE LOVE Target and have been shopping at them since I was a tween, it was my cousin's favorite store way back in the day too...so I give them the benefit of the doubt!

It's a psychological ploy. Research show them that if we think we're paying less we buy, period. I've seen this tactic in stores other than Target as well. It's akin to what manufacturers have been doing for years, instead of raising the price on an item they shrink the package, box, or container so you are getting less for the same price as before. Take a look at the next carton of ice cream you buy, they're no longer a half gallon/64 ounces, they're now 48 ounces. But still the same price.

The bottom line is if an item is offered at a good price, I buy. If not, I don't. I love Target and get some wonderful deals there, but I don't buy everything there. And, I have been watching cashiers ring up my purchases for years no matter the store, overcharging is nothing new :(

I noticed that too. But the most frustrating thing to me is that Target doesn't really have a regular price on any item any more. The prices C. each week on many items, even if they aren't on sale.

For example, their Land O'Lakes butter is usually somewhere around $4.00. But if it is on sale at a competing grocery store for $3.00, the "regular" price is $3.25 at Target. I think, "oh good, I'll just buy butter here at Target two weeks from now when I actually need it." But then when it goes back up in price at the other stores, it is back to $4 or higher at Target.

They are meticulous at checking the prices of their competition and pricing their items accordingly. But it makes it almost impossible to know what their regular prices are. This is why I rarely do my grocery shopping there any more. Unless it is on sale, and I get to stack my coupons there, it usually isn't a bargain. And meanwhile, I put too many impulse items into my cart ;-)

We're all just gonna have to get second and third jobs...no way around it!

Many places do use this tactic. Now for a fun kicker compare instore prices to online prices they don't match either for many prices or they will be online only sigh

I haven't noticed this.... but I agree that it is false advertising and I would be frustrated. I would probably say something.

Next time I'm at Target (oh, who I am fooling.... I'll be there tonight. on my way home from work....lol) I'm going to look at see if they do that where I am as well.

Actually, there are laws about what retailers can do with respect to a sales price. I don't know if applies in this case, since Target is just notifying of a (supposed) price change and that may not be the same as a sale.

The laws may vary by state, but you can see a summary of CA laws here:
http://www.mercurynews.com/action-line/ci_20235238/action...

Other than filing a complaint though, I'm not sure what you can do.

Also there are also laws with respect to the price scanned at the register having to match the shelf price. In some states, people are entitled to get the item free or up to some small dollar amount, but that's not true everywhere. I recall that you would need to complain to the store and then maybe to Weights & Measures or someplace like that.

I don't usually remember all the shelf prices of the items I'm buying so I wouldn't notice if I'm getting ripped off unless I'm only buying a couple items or there was one special item that I was scrutinizing the price of when I decided to buy it.

Stores have done this for years. They jack up prices to make the "new" price seem like a bargain when it really isn't. I don't know if it's illegal. But the phrase "caveat emptor" hasn't been around for no reason (even though this isn't in the strict definition of the phrase): let the buyer beware!

Stores are even laid out to encourage the buyer to spend more. It's reasonable for them to do, if you look at it from the store's point of view.

Target and Walmart are doing something else interesting. We are generally accustomed to think that a larger size of a product (say, laundry detergent or butter) is more economical. Not so. Do the math, and you'll find that some larger sizes are costlier by at least a penny or two.

You could write to the Target customer relations office, armed with specific instances, items, and price changes (accompanied with photographs?). I don't know if it would do any good, but at least you'd be informing them that this practice doesn't go unnoticed.

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I bought a table and chairs at ShopKo for $199, regularly $249. The 2 ShopKos near us were closing, so everything was 50% off. That same table had a sign on it saying, "Half off, regular price $700!" I did buy something during their closing. I think most of the items were a good deal, but I'm pretty sure I paid too much for a backpack. Live and learn :-)

There is a Target near my house and another near my work. They have different prices for things. The main one I've noticed is the Target formula is $2 less at the Target near my work, so I buy it there. Target had a sale on formula and the sale price was the same price as the one store, but was actually a sale at the other store, so for that Target the tags would like look like it's not on sale. It could be something like that.

My husband did POS at QFC/Kroger. When he was putting up tags the old price goes away, new price on, ad for new price on top. He used to get asked that Q all the time. Often, he'd still have the old sticker in his pocket so could just show people the old price sticker. Krogers stickers are always dated.

I've taken some 'Fail' photos of pricing goofs from time to time.
Theyre hilarious.

Evevry single grocery store fools their customers with advertising. The set up of the store, the placement of the items on shelves, the wordage. Target and every other store has been doing this for years!!

Why do you think stores put milk, eggs, and bread in the back of the store? So you'll pass everything and make additional purchases. My mother works at a grocery store, and she said they actually lose money on every gallon of milk. They rely on additional purchases, to make their money. (Hence, it being at the back.) Everything is a trick, to get more money. You can't walk into any store that doesn't have "false advertising" or little tricks like that.

I don't usually shop Target for food items. But I think that if you notice this, take some pictures and do a write up for the local paper or contact corporate about it. I've often found that when I complain or inquire about something, most companies like to make it right.