53 Thoughts Every Girl Has While Shopping At Target

Some Friday fun for y'all, courtesy of BuzzFeed, called "53 Thoughts Every Girl Has While Shopping At Target":

1. Wait, which door should I go in? Ohhh automatic door. This is awkward. 

2. Whoa, I don’t want the cart with the receipt in it. NOPE.
3. This cart looks pretty clean.
4. I really just need groceries, but maybe I can just look at the clothes.
5. Omg is that a new line?!?!
6. Wait, do they have the swimsuits out?!
7. I don’t think they’ve been picked over that much yet — better take a look.
8. Well, I have time to try on a few real quick.
9. Ugh, I can only take in six items. Time to make a decision.
10. I just wish my dressing room tag would fit on the hanger.
11. Umm, is this mirror warped? I don’t really look like that.
12. Crap, it’s already been 30 minutes. I need to move on.
13. OK, I’m gonna get this suit. I mean it’s so cheap I have to.
14. I wonder if those shoes my friend had are still here.
15. Oh my god, all these shoes on sale! I have to try these on.
16. I mean I don’t REALLY need another pair of wedges but they’re only $14.98.
17. Ohhhh the new sandals are out.
18. If I don’t get these today they’ll probably be gone next week. Better get them.
19. Those would be so cute with that dress I saw earlier.
20. I wonder if they have my size on the fitting room discard rack.
21. OK, on to the groceries. I hope they have the Easter candy out.
22. I don’t get people and that dollar section.
23. Wait, did that lady have socks with bunnies on them?
24. Are those only a dollar?
25. OK I basically HAVE to get them, they’re a dollar.
26. I think I need this cup too. It’s so cute and basically pays for itself.
27. Is that a CAT COLLAR? I don’t have a cat but I know someone who does. How cute would that be?
28. Oh, I see the Easter candy. Better pick up some Reese’s Eggs. I’m just getting into the Easter spirit.
29. I can give them out at work; I totally won’t eat them all myself.
30. What is that? Is that a pomegranate drink? It says it’s supposed to be good for your skin. I should try it.
31. Wait, the tortilla chips are two for $5. I’ll grab two.
32. I should get some guacamole to go with.
33. That new hummus flavor sounds so good.
34. What should I dip in hummus?
35. Woah, that hottie just went to the freezer section. I probably need something from the freezer section.
36. AVOID THE ICE CREAM.
37. Are those reduced-fat chicken fingers?!
38. I wonder if chicken fingers would be good with hummus.
39. Whoa, that lady has the cutest pillow in her cart.
40. I should check out home goods. I mean, my apartment could really use some updating.
41. Is that wall art? That would be way easier than painting.
42. I totally have this quote on my Pinterest board.
43. I should go before I spend any more money.
44. Are those new Essie colors? I could really use a new spring color.
45. Ugh, should I get the light green or the lighter green?
46. Maybe I should just get both. I mean I’ll use them.
47. These lines are so long.
48. When did my cart get so full?
49. Is that a new EOS flavor? Yum.
50. My bill is HOW MUCH?
51. How am I going to carry all these bags?
52. Was I really just in there for two hours?
53. Shit, I forgot shampoo. I’ll go back next week.

Double-Take: Jayson Home vs. Threshold

It's time for another double-take, where we take one item from Tar-jay and match it up against a similar - yet pricier - designer piece. Today we have two hexagon-shaped brass side tables, which would go perfectly in a hard-to-fit corner of any room. Only one of them is from Jayson Home and will set you back $195, whereas the other is by Threshold (at Target) and costs only $69.99. Which one is which? The answer appears in the comments section below.

Ten years of "Simply Shabby Chic"...

It's hard to believe it's been ten years since designer Rachel Ashwell - of Shabby Chic Couture fame - translated her eclectic style into a budget line for Target. Rachel took her love of whitewashed furniture, feminine florals and vintage details and turned Simply Shabby Chic into Target's go-to home collection for those seeking classic palettes of soft colors and clean whites - perfect for inspiring cozy, relaxed settings.

To celebrate 10 years of collaboration, Target and Rachel have teamed up for a special anniversary decor collection, in stores now. You can also read a Q&A with the designer herself over at A Bullseye View. 

Blogger who broke Target breach gets movie deal...

The Star Tribune reports that Sony Pictures has confirmed it is working on a movie based on the security blogger who exposed Target's monster data security breach.

No production date has been set, but the cyberthriller will be penned by Richard Wenk, a writer and director whose credits include “The Expendables 2” and “The Mechanic.” He also wrote “The Equalizer,” a not-yet-released movie that has Denzel Washington playing a former black ops commando.

The blogger, Brian Krebs (shown here) is an independent investigative reporter who digs into the dark Web world of hackers, malware, stolen data and cybercriminals, many from Eastern Europe. The former Washington Post reporter says he keeps a 12-gauge shotgun handy because he has been threatened so often. He was once shipped a parcel containing fecal matter. While he’s been blogging about cybersecurity issues and network break-ins for years, Krebs shot to a new kind of fame following his scoop last December that Minneapolis-based Target Corp. was ­struggling with a major data security breach. He has ­consistently broken news about how the attack was carried out.

Krebs, who blogs from his home in Annandale, Va., did not immediately return phone calls for comment on the movie plans. But at www.krebs onsecurity.com he wrote that the development “took me by complete surprise," adding “Judging from accounts of the screenwriter’s other movies, if this flick actually gets made someone vaguely resembling me probably will be kicking some badguy butt on the Silver Screen.”

Sony bought the rights to an article about Krebs called “Reporting From the Web’s Underbelly” by New York Times technology reporter Nicole Perlroth. Krebs says he hasn’t worked out details for the movie with Sony yet. “Beyond remuneration (and perhaps a fleeting Hitchcock-style cameo) I would be delighted if I could influence the selection of the leading man,” he wrote. “In the past week, I’ve been told I look like both Jim Carrey and Guy Pearce, but I’m not so sure. But if I had to pick one of my favorite actors, I’d love to see Edward Norton in the role.”

Target's Big BOGO Week...

Target is having a major BOGO sale on shoes this week for the entire family. All women's, men's and kids' shoes are buy one/get one half off. This sale extends both to Target stores as well as online at Target.com.

They're also having similar BOGO deals on all C9 brand athletic apparel (for men, women and kids), for women's skirts and shorts, and for all men's & women's jeans.

New at Target: Oh Joy!

The Oh Joy! for Target line of paper, party and stationery products (which I told you about last month) has debuted at Target both online and in stores.  Ranging in price from $3 (for paper party plates) to $25 (for a cake stand) the collection has a garden party vibe in pretty pastels.

Nate Berkus decorates "Cougar Town"

Tune in to tonight’s episode of TBS’s comedy “Cougar Town” to see something extra stylish: the set adorned with the Nate Berkus at Target collection. And if want to get your hands on a lamp or rug seen in the show, you can shop the featured items by visiting ShopCougarTown.com.

In tonight's espisode, Laurie Keller (Busy Phillips’ fun-loving and eccentric character) and her boyfriend Travis Cobb (played by Dan Byrd) decide it’s time to redecorate her apartment, so the couple heads to Target to pick up a few of Nate’s pieces... and a little décor drama ensues! Shown here is Grayson (with the guitar) and you can spy a Nate Berkus lamp in the background (as well as numerous Target bags).

Fab Find: Sonia Kashuk Travel Duffle

Recently at Target I found this cool Sonia Kashuk zig-zag print travel duffel on clearance. I actually do need a new overnight bag for a couple of weekend trips I have coming up, and the $20 price tag on clearance (normally $39.99) was simply too good to pass up. This bag is a roomy 13" high by 11" wide by 19" deep, with plenty of room for all your essentials.

To tuck inside, I also bought Sonia's Completely Organized Bag in "Emerald", which coordinates perfectly with the green in the duffle and is on clearance for just $8.48. What I didn't realize until after I got home, though, is that the duffle already contains two removable clear plastic makeup bags - bonus!

While this particular print is no longer in stock on Target.com, you can get the rose-print or orange-ginham pattern online for $39.99.

Target names Emily Henderson their new "Home Style Expert"

Target has teamed up with  Emily Henderson to be their new home style expert. Emily is the winner of HGTV’s hit show “DesignStar” and host of “Secrets From a Stylist.”  She also keeps a blog called Style by Emily, where she announced the partnership with Target yesterday:

I am incredibly happy to announce that I’m the new Target Home Spokesperson. I’ve always shopped at Target, in fact I remember when they opened in Brooklyn 8 years ago and all of New York got soooo excited. We’d schlep out there, buy everything we could just to take a $100 car service back with our goods, but we didn’t care because we were excited to get our hands on their pieces. As a stylist, a store like Target is priceless because its one stop shopping. You can buy everything – from pillows to lampshades, to books, stash boxes, tools, prop bags and shoes, furniture, towels, food props, just EVERYTHING. It just makes my life so much easier.

You can also read a bit more about her on A Bullseye View, where Emily will serve as a spokesperson and resource offering design ideas, styling tips and more.

Target butchers bikini model with bad photoshop...

Business Insider reports that a Target swimsuit model is the latest victim of bad Photoshop. The model shown here (and featured on Target's website until this story broke) looks OK until you zoom in a bit.

"Really, really poor job at cutting into the waist and arm, as well as a hamfisted attempt at cropping out an artificial thigh gap on the model," writes The Ethical Adman.

Since the Photoshop Disasters blog posted the photo, Target has cropped the page so only the top half of the model can be seen. The same model was also shown wearing a printed blue bikini, with clear Photoshop "cuts" on both her inner-thighs and right underarm; Target has taken this photo down, but you can view the screen capture of it on Business Insider's site.

My question is: why bother with all the Photoshopping? This teen model is CLEARLY slim enough to be posing in these swimsuits, so why try to make her look even thinner?

Swatch sues Target over watch designs...

Reuters reports that Target has been sued by Swatch Group SA, which accused the second-largest U.S. discount retailer of illegally selling watches that copy its own. In a lawsuit made public on Monday in U.S. District Court in Manhattan, Swatch - known for its plastic namesake watches - accused Target of infringing its designs for "zebra" and "multi-color" watches.

Swatch said the quality of Target's watches is "inferior" to its own, and that their continued sale is likely to confuse shoppers and damage the Swiss company's sales. It also said it advised Target of the alleged infringement, but that the Minneapolis-based company continued its sales.

"By adopting the Zebra Watch trade dress and the Multi-Color Watch trade dress, defendants are unfairly competing" with Swatch, the complaint said. Swatch seeks to stop Target from selling the alleged copies, recoup profit from prior sales and be awarded money damages.

Target spokesman Evan Lapiska declined to discuss the lawsuit, but said the retailer's policy is "to respect the intellectual property rights of others and we expect the same from our vendors and partners."

This isn't the first time another brand (or designer) has sued The Bullseye for copyright infringement. In the past, Target has been also been sued by Coach over lookalike bags, Minnetonka for moccasins, and Diane von Furstenberg for a dress design.

Double-Take: Target vs. Pottery Barn

It's time for another double-take, where we take one item from Tar-shay and match it up against a lookalike (and much pricier) designer piece. Today we have two bright red metal bistro chairs. The BIG difference, though, is that one is the Tolix chair (from Pottery Barn) and will set you back $269 EACH, whereas the other is the Carslile chair (from Target) and is currently on sale for just $49.99 for a set of TWO! Which one is which? The answer appears in the comments section below.

Target tries to boost morale with relaxed dress code...

Racked.com reports that following months of negative press and layoffs, Target has changed its dress code at its Minneapolis HQ in the hopes that a more relaxed policy will make employees happier. The retailer announced the news last week, saying that they now trust Target team members to "dress for their day." And what does THAT mean? Target explains: "For example, a big day might call for something like a dress or a suit, or maybe even dressy jeans and a blazer. For a low-key day, jeans and a nice polo might be the answer." In a memo to employees that was leaked to press, Target said, "We all know that casual days, weeks or months make team members really happy. We also know that life's a little easier when we have more choices — and less dry cleaning."

For the past ten years, Target's dress code has been rather strict. Men were required to wear jackets or ties and women were not allowed to wear sleeveless shirts without a jacket or cardigan to cover their arms. The rules regarding attire were so strict that they supposedly ran 20 pages long on Target's internal website. Employees definitely couldn't wear jeans, and that will probably be the most welcome change. [Shown here is a pic from Target.com showing the various jean fits available by the retailer].

Target is still keeping a few items on the "no-no" list, including flip flops, Birkenstocks, shorts and overalls. And women can't wear spaghetti-strap tops or leggings as pants.

Sale Alert: 30% off Threshold Home Decor

Target is having a sale this week on all Threshold home decor & furniture - both online and in stores. Everything is 30% off - over 1,000 items in all - including the cute rope-handled hurricane lamp featured in my double-take post last May.

New at Target: Orla Kiely Spring Cosmetic Bags

Back in October, Target introduced a new collab with designer Orla Kiely - this time with cosmetic bags. The bags were originally offered in two sets of prints - The Graphite Collection (in hues of grays and pale greens) and The Sweet Pea Collection (in mostly orange/yellow/baby blue).

Now Target is offering two new color schemes just in time for Spring: there's The Garden Collection (shown here, mainly in green) and The Poppy Collection (in orange, pink & brown). All items are $9.99 - $29.99, and according to Target's website, are only available online.

Shoppers still shunning Target...

CNBC reports that not only are Target's sales taking a hit in the aftermath of a data breach that compromised the information of millions shoppers, but that also fewer people are visiting the stores in the first place.

According to a new report from Kantar Retail, only 33% of U.S. households said they shopped at either a Target or SuperTarget in January, which was the retailer's lowest level of shopper penetration in three years. It's also a 22% decline compared with the same month in 2013.

Although the retailer's numbers had been on a downward trend for the past few years - which is not a surprise, given the shift toward online shopping - the big difference was seen during the holiday season, said Kantar Retail senior analyst Rachel McGuire. That's because Target didn't register as big of a bump in shoppers as it typically does in the critical December month. "Our shopper data reflects the extent to which this issue continues to influence shopper behavior," McGuire said.

The largest shift away from the discount retailer was seen among its core demographics - those between the ages of 32 and 49 as well as lower-income shoppers, whose penetration fell by 30%. The impact also took a bigger toll on Target's less-dedicated shoppers. While only 4% of the retailer's monthly visitors said they are less likely to shop at Target going forward, 10% of its overall customer base said they're less likely to shop with the retailer down the line.

The Look for Less: Mossimo vs. Helmut Lang

This installment is brought to you by eagle-eye reader Mary Anne, who sent me this suggestion for a post. While not exactly a double-take, the Helmut Lang Paneled Print Dress (available at Nordstrom) on the left bears a striking resemblance to the Mossimo Banded Print Dress (at Target) on the right. Both are sleeveless sheath-style black and white print frocks, but the Helmut Lang one will set you back $310 (and that's on SALE, folks - down from $620!) whereas the Mossimo one only costs $27.99.

Is Target discontinuing Harajuku Mini?

Reader Texmimi asked me the other day whether Gwen Stefani's Harajuku Mini for Target is being discontinued. I'm not sure - and I can't find any confirmation online - but there are signs that this line may have run it's course. Others have posed the same question on the Harajuku Mini Facebook Page, and the current collection is on clearance on Target.com. Gwen seems tied up with plenty of other new business ventures, including her upcoming lingerie line with Hanky Panky (launching in July) and her GX collection of bags and shoes for ShoeDazzle (which hit stores last month). Then there's the fact, of course, that Gwen just had her third child with husband Gavin Rossdale last week. Perhaps she's just too busy these days to keep up her collab with Target - ?

Target's CIO takes the fall for their security breach...

According to Racked.com, a top executive at Target has resigned following the holiday season security breach that affected 70 million customers and cost banks and consumers an estimated $22 million. According to NBC, Target's chief information officer - who had been with the company for six years - stepped down effective today.

Target's CEO said of the departure: "As a first step in this effort, Target will beconducting an external search for an interim CIO who can help guide Target through this transformation." The retailer is also working through its tech issues with an external adviser.

Clearance Alert: Peter Pilotto for Target

Well that was certainly fast! Less than a month since its Feb. 9th debut, the Peter Pilotto for Target collection is already on clearance for 30% off both in stores (as shown in my pic here) as well as online. I can't think of another Target designer collab that's gone on sale so quickly, have you? At my local Redwood City store, there seemed to be plenty of clothing and shoes left, although the cute beach towels and totes were all gone.

Sale Alert: All Swimwear at Target

With a good portion of the country still in a deep freeze (or in my case - on the West Coast - in a soggy mess) it's hard to imagine Spring being right around the corner. Nonetheless, Target wants you to try by having a sale this week on all swimwear for women, men and kids. The deal is buy one/get one 50% off, and the sale extends to both Target stores and on Target.com.