target lovers unite

Have I told you the story of why Target is my one & only BFF for ever and ever?? For the full story, go here. It will knock your socks off. But long story short…I scored this brand new Canon EF 75-300mm lens for $15.99.

However, aside from my camera lens deal, I sometimes think Target is part of a conspiracy to make me broke. I swear, I go in JUST to buy toothpaste and diapers and exit the store with my checking account $200 less! Ouch!  So when I opened an email from my mother-in-law last week, with a link to this article, I immediately jumped for joy at the idea of being able to afford my unaffordable trips to Target.

Wise Bread released an article last month, that exposed Target’s markdown process of items going on sale & clearance.

Apparently, Target has a system for marking down their merchandise weekly:

Monday - Electronics, Kids Clothing and Stationary (Cards, Gift-wrap, etc.)
Tuesday - Domestics, Women's Clothing, Pets and Market (food items)
Wednesday - Men's Clothing, Toys, Lawn & Garden, Health and Beauty items
Thursday - House Wares, Lingerie, Sporting Goods, Shoes, Music / Movies, Books, Decor and Luggage
Friday - Auto, Cosmetics, Hardware, and Jewelry

By closely following the markdown schedule, and hitting the stores early in the morning, it is possible to get what you want before anyone else knows about it.

AND…according to Wise Bread, Target also has SECRET DEALS…

Secret Deals - Regular Target deal hunters know that it can really be a hit or miss type of deal. Some parts of the country have fantastic deals on high-end items, with no hint of the discount from their sticker price. Other areas never mark these same items down. The only way to really know if an item is on “secret clearance” is to scan it, made handy by the self-scanning stations placed throughout most stores. In order to get an idea of what might be on secret clearance, it is often necessary to browse message boards and web forums of those shoppers that do this regularly. (For a great resource for getting awesome Target deals, do a search for “Target Perimeter Perusing” and see what you may find!)

After reading this wealth of information, I decided to test out their claim first hand. I went to Target on a Thursday morning. Which means they should be marking down house wares, lingerie, sporting goods, shoes, music/movies, books, decor and luggage. My first stop was the lingerie department. And sure enough…I spotted 3 employees marking down pajamas, lingerie, and workout attire with little red clearance stickers! Score! Next stop…shoes. And yep, the adorable yellow sandals that I had been eyeing for a couple weeks were now marked on clearance with a little red sticker. Score…again!

Conspiracy or not, my BFF status with Target is now stronger than ever. I hope you & your wallet find this information useful. For the entire article and more Target insider tips, head on over to Wise Bread.