Target to Price-Match 29 Rivals' Websites...

Starting tomorrow (October 1st) Target will price-match the websites of 29 major retailers in stores and for purchases from their website. These include the usual big names that you might expect, like Amazon, Walmart, and Best Buy, but also some major specialty retailers like Sports Authority and cosmetics retailer Ulta.

Consumerist reports that Target has only price-matched the websites of a few retailers until now: those were Amazon, Walmart, Best Buy, Toys ‘R’ Us, and Babies ‘R’ Us. The new list expands price-matching beyond the online outlets of local retailers with physical stores. For example: if you don’t happen to have a Buy Buy Baby in your area - but they have an excellent sale - Target will price-match the website.

Target’s existing price-matching policy doesn’t allow customers to match with items available from third-party sellers, who might post an item at an unrealistically low price for the sole purpose of price-matching. Target also plans to match online prices from two warehouse clubs - Costco and Sam’s Club - but it’s not clear whether you need to be a member of one of those clubs to get the online price of an item from Target.

Price-matching has become much easier in an era where many shoppers carry smartphones, and Target even thoughtfully provides in-store wi-fi. Yet making it available is also a little bit deceptive: exclusive and store-brand items can’t be price-matched because they simply aren’t available from other retailers. Target will price-match Kohl’s, for example, but Kohl’s mostly carries its own brands.

For those who are interested, here’s the full list of Target’s new online price-matching buddies:

Amazon, Babies ‘R’ Us, Bed Bath & Beyond, Best Buy, Barnes & Noble, Buy Buy Baby, Costco, CVS, Diapers.com, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Drugstore.com, GameStop, JCPenney, Kmart, Kohl’s, Macy’s, Newegg, Office Depot, Petco, Petsmart, Sam’s Club, Sears, Sports Authority, Staples, Toys ‘R’ Us, Ulta, Walgreens, Walmart, and Wayfair.

New at Target: Method Holiday Scents

A couple of new Method Hand Wash scents have hit Target stores already. Target usually comes out with 3 scents per season, but I've only seen two thus far: Mulled Cider and Peppermint Vanilla (shown here). I didn't have time to "try" (meaning smell) them in store; has anyone else tried them yet? Last Fall Target reintroduced the Orla Kiely printed bottles to go along with their holiday scents, and I wish they'd done the same again this year, as the Orla prints are always so much cuter than the regular ones.

Launching Today: Adam Lippes for Target

Several weeks ago I posted the link to Target's Plaid Takeover Lookbook, including items from the Adam Lippes for Target collection (which launches today in select stores and on Target.com). To be honest, I wasn't overwhelmed with anything in the lookbook, but with ponchos all the rage this season, the Adam Lippes one (shown here) will probably be a sellout. Buyer beware, though: it's made of mohair, so if you're allergic to the fiber (as I am) you'll want to avoid it.

If you're still craving the poncho trend - but don't want to pay almost $60 for the Adam Lippes version - other options are plentiful at Target and beyond. From Mossimo, there's a buffalo-plaid one for $29.99 and an aztec-patterned one for just $22.99. There's also a striped/fringe one from Merona for $26.99. And The Budget Babe reports that Walmart actually has a variety of cute poncho wraps - in plaids, solids and prints - for just $13.97 each.

New at Target: Askinose Chocolate

Attention chocolate lovers! Fair trade chocolate-maker Askinosie is now part of Target’s Made to Matter offering with three exclusive chocolate bars—Dark Chocolate, Dark Chocolate + Crushed Almonds & Vanilla, and Dark Milk Chocolate + Goat’s Milk.

According to A Bullseye View, founder Shawn Askinose started his company ten years ago after quitting his job as a criminal defense lawyer. His passion to turn a love of chocolate into something more meaningful helps him relate to his chocolate bean farmers. Shawn traverses the globe to visit the farms in the Philippines, Honduras and Ecuador that supply the cocoa for his family-owned artisanal startup.

“The relationship between Target and Askinosie has been one in which our small size has been honored as opposed to pressured,” says Shawn. “And as the ‘little guy’ it’s something that I deeply appreciate.”

New at Target: Knox Rose

While perusing the racks at Target this morning, I stumbled upon a new brand in the Juniors section called Knox Rose. The offerings included pretty embellished tank tops in blush tones, long 70's style knit sweater vests, and cozy Aztec-patterned flyaway cardigans. This brand reminds me of the merchandise you'd find at Francesca's, if you're familiar with that retail chain. It's worth a look at your local store; unfortunately, Target doesn't have any Knox Rose merchandise up on their website yet. And likewise, I can't find any information about it online except for the fact that Target Corporation owns the trademark to the name, indicating this will be a new in-house brand for The Bullseye.

The Look for Less: Kate Spade vs. Mossimo

Leopard-print is a staple in Fall fashions, and this season it's popping up everywhere. And shoes are a great way of incorporating the print into your wardrobe without going overboard.

Case in point: you could splurge on the bow-toed leopard flats shown on top, which are by Kate Spade (at Nordstom) and will set you back $228. Or you can save a lot of dough and get a similar look with the flats on the bottom by Mossimo (at Target) which sport a black-cap toe in addition to the bow and cost just $19.99.

Warning: Don't Shop at Target on College Move-in Day

This, dear readers, is a cautionary tale. At all costs, try to avoid shopping at Target in a college town during student move-in weekend. Otherwise, you'll face something like this picture, which shows a similar scene at the Target near Temple University. This happened to us last weekend in Davis... only multiply the amount of people in this pic by ten. My husband estimated there were over 500 shoppers in the store with us, all vying for sheets, towels, shower curtains, cleaning supplies, and other necessities for that first dorm room or apartment. That said, I will say that the Davis (actually, Woodland, CA) store was well stocked and highly organized. And thankfully, all the checkstands were open and fully staffed with fast, efficient clerks.

So what's the best way to avoid this kind of chaos? Well, Target usually supplies an online checklist each year to help you compile your back-to-college shopping list. Of course, our son refused to look at it until after he moved in, which kind of defeated the purpose.

New at Target: Skinfix

With the Farmer's Almanac predicting another harsh winter, Skinfix® Inc.- the expert in natural, healthy skin - is tackling chronic dry skin with a range of textures and hydration levels with its newSkinfix® Healthy Skin™ regimen. Dermatologist recommended and fragrance free, theSkinfix Healthy Skin regimen is packed with natural emollient oils of coconut, sunflower, jojoba and grape seed to instantly banish dryness on contact. And MarketWired reports that the Skinfix Healthy Skin regimen is now available at Target stores and Target.com, including:Skinfix Cleansing Oil Wash™, Skinfix Daily Lotion™, Skinfix Ultra Rich Body Butter™, Skinfix Ultra Rich Hand Cream™ and Skinfix Lip Repair Balm™.

Chronic dry skin is due to a sluggish skin barrier. Frigid temperatures, biting winds and indoor heating can leave skin feeling dry, brittle and looking older than its years. To prepare for the winter months, increasing skin moisturization levels now is a priority to keep the skin barrier healthy. The Skinfix proprietary blend of natural humectants and emollient botanical oils nourish the skin barrier. This helps improve overall skin health and leaves skin feeling soft, smooth and supple.

Skinfix has been trusted for over 100 years. The pharmacist that compounded the original formula in Yorkshire, England relied on nature's pharmacy to create the most effective balm to treat eczema, dermatitis and rashes. The Skinfix unique combination of natural medicinal ingredients, vitamins, minerals and emollient oils has been healing the skin of people since 1850. Today, Skinfix has built on this original miracle balm and now has several complete skincare regimen lines including: eczema, baby and now dry skin. The Skinfix Healthy Skin Regimen is priced between $4.99 - $17.99 at Target stores and Target.com as well as Skinfixinc.com.

Double-Take: Macy's vs. Target

It's time for another double-take, where we take one item from Target and match it up against a lookalike - yet pricier - designer piece. And special thanks to reader JJWalleye for finding this one. 

Take a look at these two virtually identical copper trays. If they look alike, it's because they actually are: both are by Artland Oasis, and both come in the same antique copper-finish.  But one is being sold by Macy's for $40, whereas the other is being sold by Target for half that price at just $19.35 (on sale this week - regularly $21.49). Which one is which? The answer appears in the comments section below.

Shop Uzo Aduba’s Emmys Beauty Look at Target

Did you catch the Emmys last night? If so, then you saw actress Uzo Aduba win an Emmy for her role as “Crazy Eyes” in the hit show Orange is the New Black. Well guess what? It turns out that her makeup - done by makeup artist Janice Kinjo - can be found at Tar-jay, of all places! Kinjo used SheaMoisture Cosmetics products on Aduba, creating a Grace Kelly-inspired makeup look for the star.

According to Health.com, Kinjo started with SheaMoisture Sheer Liquid Foundation in Montego Toffee ($13.50, target.com) to highlight key areas like Adudba’s under eye area, t-zone, and bridge of the nose. She then applied the same product in the Ka’u Brown Blaze ($13.50, target.com) for a light contour before blending the two shades together and adding the Shea Moisture Wet/Dry Pressed Powder in Yala Golden ($13.50, target.com) to the highlighted parts of the face and SheaMoisture Perfecting Face Powder Duo in Deep ($12, target.com) to the darker contours of the face. For blush, Kinjo opted to use the Lip/Cheek Balm ($4.50, target.com) as a base and added the Mineral Blush in Annecy Maroon ($5.50, target.com) on top for a rosy flush.

Kinjo then gave Aduba the perfect, subtle smoky eye using the brown shade from the Rich Earth Palette ($22.50, target.com) on the lid, the Wet/Dry Eyeshadow in Claudia ($4.50, target.com), and the Wet/Dry Eyeshadow in Cassandra ($4.50, target.com) to add some shimmer in the inner corner of the eye. The Lengthening Mascara ($8, target.com) pumped up the volume of Aduba’s lashes in a serious way. And if you’re wondering what shade gave Aduba’s lips that natural, effortless look, Kinjo used the SheaMoisture Lip Crayon in Calixta ($9, target.com) to complete the look and accent her incredible pink Jonathan Cohen gown.

The Look for Less: Houzz vs. Nate Berkus for Target

If you're like me, you can get lost for hours drooling over the home design & remodeling ideas on Houzz. That's where I found the inspiration for today's post, after seeing the gold-faceted vase on the left in the "Housewarming Gifts" section on Houzz's shopping section. It's pretty, but at $28, I knew I could do better. And sure enough, I remembered that Target has a similar one - by Nate Berkus, no less - which is now on sale for just $11.88!

The Look for Less: Ralph Lauren vs. Merona

With Fall approaching and the weather turning cooler, you want to start reaching for cozy basics like sweater dresses. Here we have two simple crew-neck, vertical-cable sweater dresses, very similar in style and color. But the one on the left is from Ralph Lauren and will set you back $139 (on sale from $198) whereas the one on the right is from Merona (at Target) and costs just $34.99.

Clearance Alert: Eddie Borgo for Target

The Eddie Borgo for Target collection of of bags, charms and jewelry to mix and match as you wish has hit the clearance racks. As you might recall from my review back in July, I wasn't impressed with this line. I found it overpriced, especially given the lack of quality. IMHO, it's still overpriced at 30% off, although there appears to be little of it left in stores so I guess SOMEONE is buying it.

Target To End School Charity Program...

Posters inside Target stores often tout the amount of money the retailer has given to local schools over the years through its Take Charge of Education program, in which it sends 1% of every Redcard holders’ purchase to a school of his or her choice. But Education Week reports that the program - which for 18 years has given $432 million to tens of thousands of schools around the U.S. - will end next Spring. Target notified schools on Monday that it will wind down the program and shift its corporate social responsibility focus to health and wellness.

“When that program started, it was incredibly innovative,” said Laysha Ward, Target’s chief corporate responsibility officer. “There was nothing else like it out there. We just want to continue to innovate.” Target will continue to give 5 percent of its profits, or about $4 million a week, to communities, she said.

She and other Target executives are working on the precise scope of the firm’s future charitable programs. She said they will roll out next year and will likely engage social media. She cited the buy-one-give-one campaign for back-to-school supplies the company launched last fall as another example of where the company is headed. The Take Charge of Education program, she added, had a “phenomenal” run. But only 10 percent of Redcard holders enrolled in the program and, when the company surveyed shoppers, it found that many did not remember if they had designated a school.

The change will be a disappointment to schools, which had become accustomed to receiving the unrestricted funds every year to cover budget gaps for everything from school supplies to after-school programs. Target says schools received an average of $370 a year from the program, though some schools who actively promoted the program received thousands of dollars a year.

Target To Hire 70,000 Seasonal Workers...

According to A Bullseye View, Target plans to hire an additional 70,000 team members for the upcoming holiday season, with hiring already underway at their distribution and fulfillment facilities.“As we have in the past, we’ll work with our existing team members across the country to offer them additional hours first,” says Tina Tyler, chief stores officer. “Then, we’ll bring in about 70,000 team members to help us through the exciting and busy season. The work we do together will help bring the holidays to life for the millions of guests who visit our Target stores.”

Target teams will soon begin training so they’re ready to take on important holiday roles, including unloading millions of cartons of products from the trucks, making sure store shelves are filled with holiday goodies, and setting up festive signs and displays. Interested in joining the team? Then take a look at their seasonal positions or visit Target’s Careers pages to learn more about these opportunities. You can also stop by your local store to apply in person.

The Look for Less: Urban Outfitters vs. Target

Thank you to reader Cotton Candy for bringing this one to my attention. Today we're comparing two sets of tiny, delicate string lights. I've never seen anything like this before! The two pics on the top show Urban Outfitters version (called "Firefly Lights") that run $20 for a 7.5' long string. And the Target version shown on the bottom (dubbed "Starry Lights" and found in the Dollar Spot section) run only $3 for a 7' string. Granted, Target's set is on a bit shorter string, but that's still a savings of $17 over the Urban Outfitters version. Both require two AA batteries, so the only other difference is the fact that Urban Outfitters' lights come on gold-colored wire whereas the Target ones are on silver wire.

Target to Drop Cherokee Brand...

Big changes are coming to the clothing racks at Target, with the retailer announcing that it won’t renew its 20-year contract with apparel brand Cherokee.

Consumerist reports that The Wall Street Journal just revealed that Target decided not to renew the current deal, which is set to expire on January 31, 2017, in order to make way for newer clothing labels, specifically in children’s apparel.

Cherokee is primarily found in the children’s department, but also sells brands like Liz Lange and Tony Hawk. For now, the company says it will continue to sell Liz Lange brand maternity clothing at Target. Products from the company accounted for an estimated $1.1 billion in retail sales for Target last year.

The WSJ reports that the move by Target not to renew the long-running contract is just another piece of the retailer’s transformation under new CEO Brian Cornell, who has put an emphasis on style and fashion at the big box store by creating limited time collaborations with big name designers. Other efforts have included a comprehensive review of the brands the chain is carrying and changes to appeal to Target’s new core customer that is younger and more diverse.

Fab Find: Dollar Spot Placemats

If you've read my posts this week then you know I've gone a little crazy lately in the Dollar Spot aisle at Target. My latest find is these burlap placemats decorated with festive gold dots. The burlap is backed with plastic (making them more durable) and in addition to this design they also come in plain burlap and black chevron stripes (but I like the gold dots the best). At just $3 each, I nabbed 4 of them, but probably should have bought more!

The Look for Less: Adesso vs. Room Essentials

Today we're looking at two simple desktop lamps, both with natural cork lampshades.The big difference, however, is the price: the one on the left is from Adesso, and will set you back $45. But the one on the right is from Room Essentials (at Target) and is on sale this week for less than half that, at just $20.69.

More Dollar Spot Diving at Target...

Just wanted to share another terrific find from the Dollar Spot at Target. Shown here are a variety of scented candles in Fall scents like "Autumn Air", "Cypress Cedar" and "Apples & Cinnamon". Each candle is housed in a pretty mercury-glass votive holder, which can be re-used as a mini-vase once the candle is gone. And best of all, they're just $3 each!

Dollar Spot Diving at Target...

I usually try to avoid the Dollar Spot aisles at Target, because as great as they are, I usually end up buying stuff I just don't need. Nonetheless, I decided to take a look this past weekend, and I'm glad I did as I found some wonderful Harvest/Halloween-themed items.

Shown here are some adorable burlap pumpkins - just $3 each! They are between 3 1/2 - 5" tall each, and come in a black chevron, black dot, and plain burlap designs in addition to the ones pictured here. And speaking of burlap: the Dollar Spot also had cute burlap table runners, placemats and goodie bags.

Double-Take: Pottery Barn vs. Threshold

It's time for another double-take, where we take one item from Tar-shay and match it up against a lookalike - yet pricier - designer piece. Today we're looking at two very similar sets of wide-striped curtains in grey and white. But one of them is the Pottery Barn Classic Stripe Drape, which will set you back $199 for a set of two. And the other is the Threshold Bold Stripe Curtain (from Target) and is only $29.99 each (meaning $60 for a set of two). Which one is which? The answer appears in the comments section below.

Labor Day Deals at Target...

Target is running multiple promotions online and in stores this Labor Day weekend. By using Cartwheel, you can get 25% off womens' apparel and outerwear in stores. Online you can get an extra 10% off the sale price on select clothing, shoes, accessories and home items with the promo code "LABORDAY". It's also "Force Friday", meaning a whole slew of new Star Wars merchandise has hit Target.com and you can save $10 when you spend $50 or $25 when you spend $100 by using the promo code "FORCE" at checkout.

Target Tests Serving Alcohol...

Racked alerts us that The Chicago Tribune reports that Target has applied for a "Consumption on Premises" liquor license to be applied to its new Chicago store location.The company applied for the license in order to serve alcohol at the upcoming store, which would make it the first Target location in the US to serve and sell alcohol. Target also applied for a separate liquor license to sell packaged alcohol at the same store.

While the retailer wouldn't elaborate on what Target's probable in-store bar would look like, the Tribune notes that nearby Whole Foods already has a wine bar and sells beer and other liquor in the store. The new Target store is smaller than a regular Target, and more tailored to its urban setting—it sounds a lot like the CityTarget and TargetExpress store concepts before they all got renamed to Target. If the Chicago test goes well, Target may start rolling out in-store bars in other urban areas.

Target Joins Forces with GoodWeave

Target has teamed up with GoodWeave in support of their mission to end child labor in the rug industry. The partnership is focused on India, where all of Target's owned-brand woven rugs are made, and sadly, child labor is common. GoodWeave provides independent, third-party certification that Target’s rugs are being produced with the utmost integrity.

Target shoppers can tell that a product is GoodWeave-certified by looking at the label on the back of each rug (as shown here). It will have a GoodWeave symbol and an individual number that can be tracked back to the maker. By supporting GoodWeave’s mission, guests can buy an owned-brand woven rug at Target and know they’re playing a part in eliminating child labor in the rug industry, and educating thousands of children in India.

You can read more details about the partnership - and how it's designed to reduce the number of exploited children in India  - on A Bullseye View.

Tuesday's Rant: Target's Inventory Issues

On Tuesdays I sometimes take the opportunity to rant about something I do not like about Target… because although I love ‘em to death, they ain’t perfect. My current issue with them is illustrated by this pic I snapped the other day in my local store. At best, the dairy inventory is spotty, and I've found this to also be the case in other areas of the food and beverage aisles. I also had trouble finding fresh juice the other day as well as Babybel cheese. And last weekend they were completely sold out of onion rings in the freezer section.

Consumerist even had a recent post about Target's inventory issues, with Target CEO Brian Cornell stating their stocking problems are "unacceptable", and declaring that the retailer’s “incredibly complex supply chain” is simply "outdated". Whatever the issue, Target needs to fix it, and soon. And it goes beyond inventory shortages; it's also about being consistent with what's in store and what's available online. Remember the blouse I blogged about yesterday? It's been in stores for weeks, yet still isn't available on Target's website (along with a whole slew of other new Fall merchandise).