Children's clothes and shoes 80 percent off at Target...

[CoffeeCat]

I hope it's ok to post about this.

I belong to a national frugal-living online group, and many people are reporting that their
area Targets/SuperTargets have an additional 30 percent off clearance items--which are all
ready marked 30-75 percent off.

My Target store only had the additional 30 percent off clearance items--on children's and
adult's shoes. Most were 75 percent off and with the additional 30 percent off, I was able
to get sturdy tennis shoes and cute dress shoes. A few were under $2.

You might want to call your Target and ask if they have the additional 30 percent off
clearance items, to avoid an unnecessary trip. Most stores are doing this, but not
all. One of the managers told me that they have NEVER offered this extra discount, and
they're doing it because they have so much inventory remaining after the holiday.

On my frugal-living board, people are reporting that they're getting kids snow pants
and winter coats for under $5. Kids sweatpants and shirts for under $1.

I hope everyone can find some good deals. We all need to help each other save money
during these difficult economic times. :)

[Aviation Pro]

1. This may be a short term benefit, but a long term disaster....

...see the years 1929 - 1939 for more information.

[CoffeeCat]

6. I know...

I almost felt sick at Target. There was no one there. I was the only
one frantically searching through the shoes.

When the cashier rang up my tennis shoes, she said, "Oh my gosh...these are $1.74 a pair."

I felt grateful, but it's just scary to pay prices like this.

I spread news like this around, beyond the frugal boards, because it may help
others.

You are right...it's deflation, I'm guessing. I imagine that Target has lots of
Spring stock that has arrived, and nowhere to put it, because the Christmas
and Winter clothes are still hanging on the racks.

[Warpy]

As dreadful as inflation is,

deflation is incredibly scary because every dollar you save in the beginning represents something that's just not going to be available at all a couple of years down the line.

[CoffeeCat]

19. Geez...

Maybe I need to go back and buy MORE kids shoes????

:scared:

[Warpy]

21. Only if you know what size they're going to be

in the next few years.

[madinmaryland]

30. Are any of these Targets in Maryland??

My wife (and daughter) love Target.

[HamdenRice]

33. You're doing the right thing to PREVENT deflation -- some posters have it backwards

If you and your group were saying, "Targets has children's clothes at 80% off, let's all hold off buying because it's probably going to 90%," then that would be behavior that contributes to deflation. Deflation becomes a vicious cycle because as prices fall, people put off buying because it will be cheaper later, contributing to the fall of prices, contributing to more putting off of purchases.

You are doing the opposite. You are engaging in price clearing/market clearing behavior. The price has reached a point where you want to buy, you are buying, and you are encouraging others to buy as well. This helps prevent deflation, because you are helping find the price at which the merchandise will clear and begin to move.

So don't worry, you are doing your patriotic, anti-deflationary duty!

:hi:

[femrap]

34. Please realize that these

shoes and probably everything else is MADE IN CHINA....where people are paid roughly $146 PER MONTH.

The profit margins on these Chinese-made products is enormous. So for $1.74/pair, I doubt if anyone is losing money...except of course the poor peasant women and children in China.

Just realize you're getting bargains off the backs of others. I refuse to buy anything made in China unless forced to. Their record on Human Rights SUCKS!

[CoffeeCat]

35. I know and I admit that I am benefiting from...

...a horrible system that exploits people.

It makes me sick.

However, I want the shoes at 1.74--because we save our family money. Yep, I ran to Target
when I heard about these deep clearances. I know what I'm doing. i also looked at the inside
tag of these shoes and saw, 'Made in China' and it made my heart sink. It made me wonder about
the poor woman or child who made these shoes. It made me wonder what they think of us.

I'm not in a position where I can pay $60 for a pair of tennis shoes for my children, who will outgrow
them in 6 months, and then need a new pair. I wish I was.

For now, I admit that I'm part of the problem.

[Better Believe It]

37. China's record sucks??? It does, but how about the United States?

"Their record on Human Rights SUCKS!"

And so does the U.S. record! Have you stopped buying anything made in the United States and anything sold at non-union operations like Wal-Mart, Target, K-Mart, etc.,?

[CoffeeCat]

39. Agreed....

The entire system is corrupt and immoral.

China and the United States are both operating an economic machine that only cares about profits. People
don't matter. Workers don't matter, except that they are a necessary part of the machine.

It's all about profits. That's why we outsource. That's why we don't make anything here any more. Companies
wanted to pump up profits.

Now, as our jobs go, so does the money, and these stupid CEOs are realizing (probably too late) that if you
take away jobs here, there is no money to buy their junk and prop up those aggressively sought profits.

I agree, it's not just China. It's the US too.

[cynatnite]

2. Will check it out. Thanks! n/t

[shanti]

3. hmm...

i was just there today buying some clearance items, and i wasn't offered an additional 30% off. maybe it's just stores in certain locations.

[CoffeeCat]

7. Yes...it does vary by store...

If your store offers the additional 30 percent discount, there are signs posted in the
shoe area or the kids clothing area that say, "30 percent off all ready clearance prices."
These signs are big and clearly marked.

The reports about this, are coming in from all over the country. These reports just
began yesterday and today. It's possible your store isn't offering the extra discount, but
maybe in a day or two they will. I'd check back with your Target, if you are interested.

[shanti]

11. the thing is

that my store is getting ready to do a major overhaul. they're closing feb.6 for about 9 months. i asked if there were further discounts because of the move, and the cashier said no. ahhh, well...

[CoffeeCat]

13. Are they converting from a Target...

...into a Super Target?

I can't believe that they wouldn't have further discounts, especially if they're closing for 9 months! Target
is such a seasonal store. Even their hand towels and curtains match with the particular season! Maybe they're
sending their stock to other Target stores?

It's also possible that the cashier didn't know. You might consider asking a manager or someone else if
there will be further discounts. That cashier might not have known what a manager may know.

Good luck!

[shanti]

26. yes!

two-story super target, at that (i've never even seen one before). the cashier said that the only discounts were clearance items (clothing only), and no further discounts. that's why i asked. it made sense that they would rather sell than ship their stock to another location, but that's what they're doing. :shrug:

but i'll call the manager and ask them. thanks for the tip, TS!

[rwheeler31]

4. Please give us the link to your group, this helps.

[CoffeeCat]

9. I belong to a Website...

www.refundcents.com

I don't usually mention it, because there is a monthly charge--$4 or so to become a member
and I wasn't sure if it was against DU rules to mention it.

I don't own the site or know the owner in any way, I just belong. However, I've been able to
reduce our family grocery bill (4 people, 2 cats) to about $50 a week--and we have a huge
stockpile in the basement that could last us 6 months. Most of it I get for free.

Basically, the site is people all over the country posting about great deals at all major
retail outlets and also online sales. Most of the people clip coupons. So, when Pantene
Shampoo is on sale at Walgreen's for $2, and we have $2 coupons--people post and alert everyone.

I get tons of free stuff every week, because of the deals I learn about on that site. I did
double coupons at Kmart this week--and I got $76 worth of groceries for $4. It's amazing.

This Friday, a woman from refundcents will be on "Wife Swap". I guess she's trading
places with some Wysteria-lane wife, who spends money like water. Because of the publicity
the site will get from the show--it's free to get on refundcents this Fri and Sat. So, anyone
who wants to can check it out and look around for free.

Hope that helps.

[Mojorabbit]

22. I joined the website

and I had no idea stores would take a coupon you print out yourself instead of from the newspaper. Can you tell I am mostly a Costco shopper? :)

[CoffeeCat]

24. Also...

Yes, many stores will take Internet-printed coupons.

Also, did you know that Target has their own store coupons online? And...you can
combine the Target store coupons with the manufacturer coupons from the Sunday newspapers?
You can find some terrific deals at Target, when you combine their store coupons
with those Sunday coupons.

Here's another good site (you join, but there's non fee). www.afullcup.com
This site has all of the Target coupons listed. You can print off as many as you
like. Click on "Target Coupon Generator" and go from there.

There's a $2/1 Sutton and Dodge coupon that is good on Target beef. I find
pkgs of beef for stew and steak that has been marked down. I get a lot of
steak and beef for under $1 per pkg. Some of it is short dated, so I use
it soon or freeze.

I hope you find some great deals!

[LeftyMom]

5. Thanks!

My mom was out of town and is now sick, so she just assigned me to go do her Christmas shopping for my son. I'll go see what I can find.

[CoffeeCat]

10. Oh, and also...many toys are 75 percent off!

I didn't mention the toys!

People are also reporting that some toys at Target and Super Target are 75 percent off.

Some are 30 percent off, some 50 percent.

So, you might be able to find some good toy bargains as well.

[anigbrowl]

8. Yeah Twixvoy was talking about it yesterday

They can't get new stock in to fill the shelves for reasons that aren't clear. Might be shipping delays, or it might be they have hit credit problems (TOTAL speculation on my part, do not attribute to anyone else please). anyway this 30% off already discounted stuff is apparently an emergency management response.

[CoffeeCat]

12. That's interesting...

...If they can't get new stock in, I wonder why they're so eager to see their products fly off
the shelves, by offering these deep discounts?

Maybe they're unable to find space for it?

Maybe Twixvoy will chime in here!

[originalpckelly]

40. It sounds like they have to get that old stuff from Christmas off the shelves...

but they can't move it, so they're discounting. On top of that, they appear to be having serious supply chain problems, in that when TwixVoy places an order, they get nothing. The distribution center doesn't even have the stuff to send them. This may be due to the fact that they couldn't sell enough stuff at Christmas, so maybe they can pay back their revolving credit line to get more credit to buy new stuff.

Something is really funny with Target (if that's where TwixVoy is working, and it sounds like other posters know that.)

After doing some quick research in Wikipedia, it appears they are a low margin retailer, so they would likely be far more sensitive to this bad economy than higher margin retailers like Wal-Mart.

[CoffeeCat]

42. That's what I think it happening...

They can't move the stuff they purchased, so they're having cash problems.

They might be having trouble purchasing additional product, or getting the credit to purchase it.

If this is happening, no way in hell would Target reveal this to anyone in the individual Target stores. It would
be handled at the vp level, and it would be kept mum. Investors would not like this information, at all and it could
tank the stock. In my opinion, the "additional 30 percent off" signs are a reason to short the stock. They've never
offered these discounts and it's clear that these discounts are being offered as a result of desperation.

Also, Target's latest earnings were not good. Walmart was up 16 percent. It's possible that Target has lost market
share to Walmart. In tough economic times, people perceive Target as a bit more expensive than Walmart. People
are looking for dirt cheap. It's possible that many Target shoppers have defected to Walmart. Target's groceries
are viewed as being more expensive than Walmart. People are mainly buying necessities and food. Target is
appreciated for its housewares, decor, furniture, bedding, etc. Much better than Walmart. However, people aren't
buying that stuff as much. This could spell bad times for Target.

[Silver Gaia]

43. Interesting. Our local Target is actually cheaper than Wal-mart

on a lot of food items. For instance, Target has the best price on milk around here at $2.79/gal. (beats Wal-Mart's price). I bought a 6-pack of Stella Artois at Target tonight for $7.59, too, and it's $8.47 at Wal-Mart (not really food, although hubby begs to differ on that). They're doing a good job of beating Wal-mart on food prices here. I agree that Target has always been perceived as more expensive then Wal-Mart, but word is getting around here that they're cheaper on a lot of stuff. I wish they'd expand their grocery section in my Target!

My daughter and I went there tonight to find a baby gift for a friend of hers who's due soon, and ran into some of those great deals on baby clothes, too. We were able to get a lot more really nice stuff than we had expected. They had stuff like really cute 100% cotton shirts for $1.98, and $2.48. There was a whole aisle of marked-down baby stuff. Great deals!

[Pithlet]

14. Oh, wow. I wish I didn't have the cold from hell right now.

I'd be going tomorrow to check it out. Hell, I might just suffer through it anyway. Kids need new clothes.

[TreasonousBastard]

15. Was just in our local Target and no such deals...

plenty of merchandise and a fair number of shoppers for a Wednesday night in January.

FWIW, stores HAVE to get rid of merchandise and will job it out if necessary because they get taxed on inventory. With Spring stuff on the way, the stores have to turn over last season's stuff.

[orleans]

16. well, i won't be going there for at least a couple days--the wind

chills around here are -25 and -30. unfreakingreal.

but hey--maybe i'll check it out when it warms up a bit.

[CoffeeCat]

18. Yep, tomorrow we're supposed to have -30 below...

..wind-chill temps.

All area schools have been cancelled.

Stay warm!

[CatholicEdHead]

29. Forget windchill

our temps are -25 to -35 right now.

[orleans]

38. i've been hearing about MN on the news--regarding the temps.

that is scary.

[uppityperson]

17. Silverdale, WA had several racks of 75% off clothing. Lots of deals there.

Not a lot of customers either.

[FedUpWithIt All]

20. Online they are selling swimsuit seperates for $3 and $4.

:wow: BEFORE winter has ended.


Scary stuff happening. It is strange because sometimes i feel it all very ominously. Other times it feels as if i must be crazy because some things feel quite normal.

[LeftyMom]

23. Boys' spring summer stuff equally cheap, or even less.

Shorts for maybe $3, some tees for about $1.

[earth mom]

25. Between this thread and this other thread....

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x4828061

Yikes!

:yoiks:

[Odin2005]

27. My local Target was very dead when I went there to pick up my pills.

It's usually packed on Saturday afternoons. That Saturday it was almost empty.

[justabob]

28. my local store

I was at my local Target last week and noticed that pretty much half the stuff in the clothing areas was on clearance racks. I didn't look any closer because even at 50-75% off I couldn't buy clothes. I am hoping I can get back to pick up a few things sometime soon.

[notadmblnd]

31. Do they have any lamy jamies?

I'm looking for a pair of pajamas with lambs on them. My 67 yr old bowling partner wants a pair so she can count sheep when she goes to sleep. She's a tiny old biker babe, so I was surprised when she made this request. She wears a girls (not jr. not misses, not womens) size 14.

[tavalon]

32. You might check on heavy rubber gloves, stong shoes like hikers

and I'm sure you've already got old clothes. A short ladder would be a good idea. If your tetanus shot and hep A and B shots aren't up to date. You might want to considering getting those before losing healthcare and then, well, dumpster diving isn't just for indigents anymore. You would be amazed at what gets thrown out, food and otherwise.

I know it sounds extreme, but we are heading into extreme times.

I only shop thrift but that something I've done for 20 years, the dumpster diving is new. No, I'm not unemployed and actually will likely be the last to lose my job but I'm a survivor and always have been. This is part of surviving. Get creative and get collective. Beans can feed many!

[WI_DEM]

36. I won't buy until things are 100% off!

Just kidding, I know that this isn't a good trend.

[wishlist]

41. Last year this time I bought some great snow boots there at big discount

My Target snow boots were less than $10 and have been a life saver this bad winter and sure to get much more use before it's over.