Hearth & Hand: Early Access with REDcard

Did you notice this announcement in Target's Weekly Ad? Target REDcard holders get early access to select Hearth & Hand with Magnolia holiday items online, now through Oct. 31. The funny thing, though, is that I've already seen a couple of the items shown here at my local store, like the oversized Christmas stocking and the "Letters to Santa" holder.

New at Target: Method's Holiday Scents

Just a month ago Method introduced their Autumn scents at Target, and now they're rolling out their Holiday scents (as shown here). Looking back in my archives, it looks like they've offered these two scents for several years running - at least since 2014. After smelling them, I think the Hollyberry is too strong for me, but I did like the Peppermint Vanilla.

Target takes over Portland bowling alley...

Thank you to reader Critifur for today's feel-good story. Last year, Target took over this Southeast Portland bowling alley to remodel it into a new retail store. And in keeping with the cool 1950's vibe, Target kept the retro-style signage (as shown here via @Cabel on Twitter). For more fun pics showing how Target kept other elements (like the old bowling balls and wood lanes) in the new decor, head on over to @Cabel's Twitter feed.

7 Target Products Designers Can't Get Enough Of

We're not the only ones obsessed with Target. In fact, plenty of designers shop there for both business and pleasure. So the next time you're strolling the aisles of Tar-jay, keep an eye out for these 7 items designers can't stop buying, according to Apartment Therapy. Like this "Esters" Armchair by Project 62, which is favored by designer Emily Henderson.

Sneak Peek: Target's Toy Book 2018

BestBlackFriday.com has posted 88 pages of Target’s 2018 Holiday Toy Book. You can click through it page-by-page here.  Savings highlights include:

• Target will once again offer Kids’ Daily Deals: deeply-discounted Cartwheel offers featuring savings on toys each and every day starting Nov. 1 through Thanksgiving.
• Starting Sunday, Oct. 28, text TOY to TARGET (827438) to get the coupon valid in-store and online for 25 percent off any one toy, sporting good of craft activity kit. The coupon will be valid through Nov. 10 (exclusions apply).
• On page 88, you’ll find a coupon good for a free $10 Target gift card with a toys, games, sporting goods or kids arts & crafts purchases of $50 or more.

Coming Soon To Target: Smartly

Target is launching a new essentials and personal care brand called Smartly, aimed at the budget-conscious and space-constrained shopper. With more than 70 everyday items, from all-purpose cleaner and body lotion, to paper plates and razor blades—and with most items less than $2—Smartly makes it easier to shop smarter and save money. It’s debuting in Target stores and Target.com on Oct. 14, with new products rolling out through 2019.

Since early last year, Target has been introducing many new brands, with the intent to bring guests more options at a better value. For Smartly, Target dug deep to pinpoint exactly what guests were looking for in essentials and personal care—namely, lower-priced options. Indeed, Smartly products cost approximately 70 percent less than similar products from national brands.

Smartly also offers the affordability of bulk shopping without buying in bulk. With products sold as single items and offered in small multi-packs (like a four-pack of toilet paper for $0.99), it’s not only perfect for value-conscious guests, but for guests living in small spaces without ample storage.

Smartly reminds me of the in-house brand Nice! at Walgreens. It also seems similar to Target's current budget in-house brand, Up & Up, so it's unclear to me whether Target will be keeping both brands or whether Smartly will eventually replace it.

New at Target: quip

Target continues to experiment with digital-first brands... first there was the popular men’s grooming brand Harry’s, which they started selling in the summer of 2016. Then they added  Casper mattresses and other bedding items to market in 2017. Now Target is bringing quip, the trendy (and affordable) electric toothbrush to the fold.

You may have noticed quip in your Facebook or Instagram feed, as they have a heavy social media presence. The brand, aimed at Millennials, is an oral care subscription service that offers thoughtfully designed products that are both affordable (starting at just $25 for an electric toothbrush) and effective. In fact, it was one of the first electric toothbrushes accepted by the American Dental Association. When you pick up a quip toothbrush starter kit in Target stores or on Target.com, you’ll be directed to getquip.com, where you’ll learn all about the health, cost and convenience benefits of a quip subscription. Once you sign up, quip will automatically send you a new brush head refill on a dentist-recommended 3-month schedule.

My college age son is hooked on quip, and I'm all for anything that encourages him to brush more. However, my dentist advises while quip better than a regular toothbrush, it's still no substitute for a Sonicare.... which ironically, are on sale at Target.com this week.

Fab Find: Bowden Faux Leather Chair

I hesitate to post about this, as a quick check of Target.com shows this item as 'unavailable for shipping' and only select stores have it in stock. But the other day at my local Target I saw this handsome "Bowden" chair  by Project 62 in a home decor display and couldn't help myself from sitting in it. Not only is it attractive, but it's very comfortable to sit in as well. Only one color is left in stock (Camel, as shown here at far left) and as mentioned, it's only available at some stores. But if you're lucky enough to find one, it's on sale for 15% off with the code OCTOBER - bringing this stylish chair to just $60.

Wednesday's Rave: This Prologue Sweater

Although I was lukewarm in my review of Target's new women's line, Prologue, I did find this one bright piece in the collection. This one shoulder "Brown" sweater - which I call more of a cinnamon color - is on trend and something you'd be apt to find at Zara. If you don't find your size online immediately, keep checking back. The day after Prologue debuted, all sizes of this sweater were sold out. Then a few days later, they re-stocked in most sizes. Now the selection is spotty again, but it says "temporarily out of stock" (vs. "sold out") which means they may be re-stocking again. A tip: this line runs large, so I'd recommend buying one size smaller than your usual size.

Tuesday's Rant: Store Pickup Cancellation Notices

On Tuesdays I sometimes take the opportunity to rant about something I do not like about Target… because although I love ‘em, they ain’t perfect. It's actually been almost a year since my last rant - and there's plenty of things that annoy me about Tar-jay lately - but today I'm ranting about store pickup cancellation notices. 

Ever order something on Target.com for store pickup, only to have the order mysteriously cancelled a few hours later - before you even have a chance to pick it up? This happens to me a LOT, resulting in an email notification like this one (shown) which makes it sound like *I* initiated the cancellation, which I did not. And what really grinds me is that if I go back and look up the item online at the same store, it shows that the item is clearly still in stock. I guess I find this so annoying because it's probably happened to me a dozen times in the past 6 months, which almost makes me want to avoid the online pickup tool altogether.

What about you, readers? Has this ever happened to you?