Monday, May 7, 2012

The Shops at Target: nothing to write home about

Yesterday I arrived at my local Target bright and early to check out the offerngs from The Shops collection... and honestly, I was completely underwhelmed.  Let's start with The Webster: while the selection was impressive - with several racks packed with women's clothing, in a variety of sizes - I felt the quality was lacking.  Some items were fabricated in cotton - like the sheath dress and the gauzy-peasant top (which was the one item I bought) - but many were made of scratchy polyester (reminicent of the Jason Wu collection).  I also noticed some shoddy workmanship, like uneven stitching and poor fabrication on the color-block cardigans (and a quick check of all the colors on the rack showed this to be a widespread issue - not just an isolated one).

A quick perusal of the accessories aisle showed very few of the colorful tote bags and hats... and although the ones I saw were cute, they weren't any cuter than some of the Merona or Mossimo-brand ones.  And the jewelry - which was behind the glass case, so I couldn't inspect up-close - looked pretty but again, nothing to write home about. Oh, and no shoes to be found.  I circled the shoe dept. twice, with no luck.  Perhaps it was so early that my Target didn't have them out on display yet?

Privet House had several endcaps throughout the store: in home furnishings, stationery, and kitchenware.  Again, while their offerings were nice, they seemed a little pricey for the $$, especially when compared to the equally lovely offereings from Target Home and Smith & Hawken.  I was tempted by this adorable rope pouf - and almost put it in my basket - but again, couldn't justfy the price (almost $80) for an impulse buy.

The Cos Bar seemed to be limited to one lonely endcap (shown here) which wasn't fully stocked.  While the wrapped soaps were pretty, I passed on these, because you can get even prettier (and larger) wrapped Italian soaps at discount retailers like TJ Maxx and Marshall's.

And honestly, I could care less about the other two "shops": I don't own a dog, and I need candy like  I need a hole in the head, so I passed on Polka Dog Bakery and The Candy Store.  Some of you have already commented that these offerings were overpriced as well, so it sounds like I'm not missing out on anything.

11 comments:

Michelle | Remy and Me. said...

Yep, felt exactly the same. didn't buy a single thing from any of the pop-up shops ...

AltaAnn said...

I have a 6lb mini dachshund and the Polka Dog offerings were perfect for her, tiny treats and bones, but if she was any bigger it would be a waste. I got her the peanut butter bones, which she loved and the tiny twisted raw hide, which I loved because its from American beef, I try to always buy chews like this that are made in the states, so it was awesome to find this for a good price ($2.80 or so) at Target.

Kate said...

Your picture is a prime example of why I don't enjoy shopping at Target. Poorly stocked shelves, throughout the store, why?
They promoted this 'colab", so stock your shelves with the goods while the interest is there.
I enjoy your blog

Mici said...

I went to two targets looking for the Webster green and blue shoe and neither had them, I am trying one more store tonight.

aBeautyFairy said...

I went to Target Yesterday for the Webster white cotton lace dress. The lookbook did not show that the dress was open in the back. Too bad, it was very cute from the front. I left with 2 Cos Bar emory boards ($1.00 ea)and a pair of lime green leopard tweezers ($4.00) which are excellent. I was disappointed because they did not have the Polka Dog doggie leash, collar or harness.

FYI Shoes, Plus sizes and Petites are online only.

Love your blog

alyson said...

Yikes. I ordered several dresses and shoes online sight unseen because I had a packed schedule yesterday and I knew I wouldn't have time to stop by Target. The clothing is really my style, I hope I'm not disappointed.

Music said...

The Webster stuff is just too Lily Pulizter parties on Spring Break for me - or something like that. I had the same problem with the white eyelet dress. It was the only thing I actually picked up - and then promptly put down when I saw the open back!

I think the Privet House stuff is pretty and would make nice outdoor setting if it matches your decor - but the other summer melamine/acrylic fare is just as cute and potentially cheaper.

The Manhattan Beach Target is fully stocked with these two brands - unlike the Jason Wu fiasco that had even Inglewood and Gardena stripped bare in less than 15 minutes...

Kitty said...

Totally agree! Not only were the "Shoppes" products very limited and pricy, but they all seem so boring in comparison to the usual Target brands.

I thought two of the Webster dresses were cute but most of their clothes run big and a XS looked like a M on me... AND they were awfully expensive!

"The Shoppes" seems like a really clever idea, but I just wished that they executed it better or chose better shops.

Critifur said...

Target-Addict if you are looking for a poof, check this out: http://www.cb2.com/search.aspx?query=pouf

I bought one in blood orange. Gorgeous.

Target Addict said...

Critifur, thanks for the tip! The CB2 poufs are much cuter!

Elizabeth said...

I just went yesterday to check out the goods, and I feel the same way as you do; underwhelmed.
Hopefully the fall goodies will be better.

I agree with the comment from "Music." It just isn't my style, so none of it appealed to me.